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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24042718">Lady Stardust</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBYRemnants/pseuds/BangAYang'>BangAYang (RWBYRemnants)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBYRemnants/pseuds/NaughtyButWeiss'>NaughtyButWeiss (RWBYRemnants)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBYRemnants/pseuds/RWBYRemnants'>RWBYRemnants</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>White Noise - Popstarverse [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Popstar, Anal Fingering, Anal Plug, Blindfolds, Consensual Kink, Cunnilingus, Dildos, Dom/sub, Exhibitionism, F/F, Fantasizing, Female Ejaculation, First Time, Foot Fetish, Foot Jobs, Hot Tub, Lesbian Sex, Light BDSM, Master/Pet, Nipple Play, Nyotaimori, Paddling, Roleplay, Safeword Use, Shibari, Stockings, Teacher/Student Roleplay, Tickling, Urination, Useless Lesbians, Vaginal Fingering, Vibrators, Wax Play, kink club</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:16:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>116,057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24042718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBYRemnants/pseuds/BangAYang, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBYRemnants/pseuds/NaughtyButWeiss, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBYRemnants/pseuds/RWBYRemnants</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter Schnee has had the world of kink opened up to her. Thanks to Weiss and her little friends breaking her of her need to throw herself in front of a bunch of abusive men, now she seeks attention from people within the BDSM community. But her newest acquisition is one nobody would have expected - especially those within her own extended family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ruby Rose &amp; Winter Schnee, Ruby Rose/Winter Schnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>White Noise - Popstarverse [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/904485</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Lesbian Adult Content, The Library of Bondage, ☆ Homoerotica / Lesbianism / Yuri ☆</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>PLEASE NOTE: Extreme kink, including lots of petplay. Further warnings at the beginning of each chapter (but the warnings include spoilers). If you have a problem with that please don't read. These are gonna be looooong chapters again. 15-20 pages, depending.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 1</b>
</p><p>
  <em>Is this weird? Showing up to someone's place just for this stuff? Is this weird it's my sister's girlfriend's sister?</em>
</p><p>These were all questions Ruby Rose was asking herself as she rode the elevator of the Schnee Records building. She had been a couple of times with Yang and Weiss before, mainly for helping Weiss move out to their lakeside home. Other than that, she'd never stayed for an extended period. A few years ago she would have just died to be in here.</p><p>But she was there for an entirely different purpose today: to see Winter, whose number she obtained after their brief meeting in The Clamp. There were one or two initial debates against it, but after what felt like an eternity, Winter had agreed to assist Ruby in her first Pet Play experience. She promised a safe environment, with no strict rules. Just a fun test.</p><p>Winter had been busy for a couple of weeks herself, having to deal with all the media coverage the Schnee family was getting thanks to their new arrival, but she had managed to free up an evening for Ruby. As much as Ruby insisted it was no trouble moving it, Winter reassured her that she needed the time off, to focus on something other than making sure any news stories were purely casting a good light on her favourite couple.</p><p>Finally working up the courage to knock on the door, Ruby stood with her hands behind her back, idly hopping up and down on her toes as she waited.</p><p>
  <em>Why did she ask for my sizes for clothes and stuff? Maybe this is weird… but hey, I guess we're behind closed doors. How bad can it be?</em>
</p><p>When the door creaked open, there stood Winter Schnee, towering over the younger girl by several inches. Her black leather boots and beige sweater-dress only left her knees exposed, which was quite conservative given what they were planning on doing with themselves that evening.</p><p>"Ruby," Winter said with a pleasant smile, almost a professional one. "Do come in. I was beginning to worry you might have reconsidered."</p><p>"Sorry I'm late! Somebody pushed all the buttons on the elevator for the way up here…" When that only roused suspicion, she laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head.</p><p>“Quite alright. I’m just glad you’re here now.”</p><p>Soon enough, she got over the initial nerves and stepped forward into the room. Everything was so classy! From the water feature to one side to the occasional potted plant. She expected nothing less from one of the Schnee daughters. Although, there was something out of place.</p><p>"I thought you were more of a pricey-wine kinda gal?" she asked, pointing at the abandoned beer bottle her roommate had left to one side the sofa.</p><p>"Drat," Winter sighed as she spotted it, dashing over to snatch it up. "I did have company earlier. Sorry about this - I tidied the whole room and somehow missed this!" Already heading for the kitchen, she asked over her shoulder, "What's your pleasure?"</p><p>"Huh? O-oh! Um, do you have anything strawberry-y?"</p><p>Ruby still couldn't believe the situation she was in. Her sister's fiancé's sister's apartment. <em>Her idol's sister.</em> No one would have believed it if she had not told Blake and Penny. But as much as she wanted to blog about it, she knew she couldn't. This arrangement was strictly confidential; no one apart from a select few could know no matter what. Either way, it was going to be a hell of an experience.</p><p>"You are… in luck!" Winter announced when she returned a few minutes later. In one hand, she had what looked to be a dry martini with two olives, and in the other, a bottle of what the label proclaimed to be "strawberry ale". The liquid inside certainly was red enough. "Only had the one in the far back, but I'm fairly certain these things don't go 'bad'." It was already open, and she proffered the bottle. "Something light to start off for you? I think it's fitting for this evening."</p><p>"Thanks! Yeah, I think I'm gonna need it…" she agreed, taking the bottle from her and lightly tapping it against Winter's glass before she took the first sip. After a moment of standing awkwardly, she took a seat on the sofa. Sat upright and professional, the poor girl looked as though she was about to have a job interview than more intimate acts!</p><p>"Sorry, I'm still so new to all this," she admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.</p><p>Of course, Winter did suppress a little chuckle, and even hid the wider smile behind her glass. It was too adorable, and she wanted to reach over and pinch her cheek.</p><p>"Just don't worry. We have the entire apartment to ourselves, and no one's going to judge you here. Tell me what's on your mind."</p><p>"No other company?"</p><p>“Nope.” Luckily so. Qrow was out at Taiyang's for the evening while they both took turns looking after the little one for Yang and Weiss. Not that Ruby was aware her uncle was living in Winter's apartment. That would have been a mood-ruiner.</p><p>Taking another gulp of ale to try and calm her nerves, she crossed her legs nervously. "To tell you the truth I… Have only really done sex stuff a few times. And that was completely vanilla stuff! My partner’s not into receiving, so I'm not gonna be too good at the giving part."</p><p>"Oh?" The elder woman was genuinely surprised. "Well… to tell you the truth, I hadn't been intending to do anything underneath the clothes tonight. Just to test you out with a few things here and there, try some commands. Get you acclimated." Her head tilted slightly to one side. "Did… you think you were going to walk in here and I would fuck you silly?"</p><p>She lifted her spare hand to twirl a strand of hair around her finger over and over again out of habit. Something to distract herself from how nervous she really was. With a light dusting of red to her cheeks, she said in a quieter tone. "Well, I mean… isn’t that what most of the people at that crazy club were doing?"</p><p>For a moment, Winter was silent as she watched Ruby fidget. Observed the healthy flush of youthful uncertainty in her cheeks. Then she took another sip of her martini, set it on the coffee table, and turned to face her fully.</p><p>"I wouldn't do that to you unless you asked for it specifically. And yes, by all means, the next time you come over - if there is a next time - I can jerk you in the front door and have your clothes off in under a minute. But not tonight. I want us to get used to each other and try some easy things."</p><p>Her reassurance was certainly starting to help. Quite visibly her shoulders slackened, and she took another sip of the beverage before smiling gratefully. "I appreciate it! I'm just… I dunno, I'm so nervous about being too weird about things. Last time someone only mentioned the stuff they did in a truth or dare game and I was completely losing it. And even that was nothing compared to the stuff at the club!"</p><p>Cringing slightly away, Winter laughed as she said, "It's alright, I… well, I'm a little surprised Blake and Sun threw you into the deep end like that, but I'm sure it certainly gave you a few ideas of things for us to try! As we have discussed off and on, of course."</p><p>"They kind of did, but I guess I needed it. For myself, I mean. At least now I can look into that sort of stuff for research and not have an internal freak out about it." Taking another sip of her drink, she suddenly seemed to smile whilst in the middle of a sip, drawing it away. "Like before they took me there, all I had to do was remember what Yang said about her and Weiss recording one of their strap on sessions and I'd be completely…"</p><p>The instant the later name left her lips, she froze up. She herself had grown numb to her sister talking about her moments with her lover - mainly since it was Weiss, who she <em>did</em><span> want</span> to hear about. But no doubt for Winter, that would be the opposite.</p><p>"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I-I mean I… We- um…"</p><p>"No, no, it's okay," Winter half-laughed, lowering her eyes to watch how Ruby kept fiddling with the hem of her black flounce skirt. It really suited the red tank top and red sneakers, but it was probably a little more leg than the younger woman was used to showing off - even if it was only her calves. If anything, the shapeliness of them was helping her ignore the mental image of their sisters engaging in acts that were better off not pictured.</p><p>However, to keep herself from getting a little TOO focused on Ruby's body, she took up her martini and sipped at it again. "So… over text, I believe we settled on a couple of things you wanted to try. First, just some 'first date' fun, like kissing and caressing. You also wanted to try the 'naughty schoolgirl', and the 'bad puppy', I think? Or did you decide about being written on like those twins in the club?"</p><p>Rather glad for the change of subject, she nodded reassuringly. Most of all she was glad Winter didn't think too badly of her for bringing up what her sister had done with hers in the bedroom. "The Bad Puppy is definitely one, but the writing part I'm still not sure. My partner's only condition to this is that she sees no evidence, so I don't wanna get marked then her to find it all over me, you know?"</p><p>"Oh, that's a good point. Hmm… alright, I'll try to keep any other marks to a minimum, as well." When Ruby's eyes widened, she grinned in understanding at her shock. "I'm not talking about anything extreme, just… hickeys are actually very easy to leave if you aren't paying attention, too."</p><p>"Oh, right yeah! I wasn't even thinking of hickeys but I… Guess they would…" Swallowing again, she quickly took another long swig of ale in an attempt to keep herself sane. The very thought of hickeys being something Winter could so easily accomplish was enough to make her feel nervous once again. The poor girl really was to be probably her least experienced sub.</p><p>Something about the way Ruby was so nervous was most definitely bringing out the Dom in Winter. She wanted to get started right away, to take control of the uncertain little thing and steer her in the direction she wished. But that would come in time.</p><p>"Listen… would you like to watch a movie with me?"</p><p>Taken aback by the sudden suggestion, she blinked for a moment, finally lowering the bottle from her lips as she swallowed again. "You mean… You actually want to, with me? Like, cover the actual 'first date' stuff?"</p><p>"I would. I mean, most of what I watch is documentaries, but feel free to select something else." Debating with herself for a few seconds, she decided to be forthright. "You seem willing to proceed, but not quite mentally prepared for it. The most sensible course of action is just take it off the table and come back to it later. You've never even been in my apartment before, have you?"</p><p>Yet again, Winter gave her relief. At least she wasn't all too disappointed in how nervous she seemed, or her strange requests for rather platonic things. She seemed more than willing to let her get used to things before they began their play.</p><p>"Not yours, no," Ruby admitted, putting the bottle down on the coffee table. "I went to Weiss's when she was moving out, but hers had barely anything really. You actually look like you… live here…"</p><p>With a quiet chuckle, Winter stood up from the sofa, carrying her drink along. "You're not wrong. Weiss never really made this building 'home'. Would you like the grand tour?"</p><p>Right away she seemed to brighten up again, collecting her bottle and giving a polite smile. "I'd like that! I have a feeling this apartment is probably bigger than my dad's house."</p><p>"Oh, I doubt that, but we'll see."</p><p>The tour didn't take that long. Winter led her through the dining room and kitchen, asking if Ruby wanted another drink; she declined, given that she was still working on the first. She didn't show her the spare bedroom, stating that it was just a mess of storage and not interesting. Then the bathroom, and wrapping up the tour…</p><p>"And this is the bedroom," she finished with a flourish. "Where the magic happens. Also, where sleep happens."</p><p>"Magic is good. Sleep is good too. Everything’s super good."</p><p>As the door opened to the bedroom, Ruby took in the various sights. The bed, with beams that looked too sturdy than was necessary, the various wardrobes, some that seemed locked for some reason. Everything pointed to this being a common place for her to bring back people for these activities.</p><p>"Everything <em>is </em>good," Winter echoed. Though she was still standing back by the door and gazing up and down Ruby's form. Considering possibilities. Then she cleared her throat and smiled. "Unless you want to try on some of my shoes or something, there isn't much else to see in here, I'm afraid. Not yet, anyway." The last was somewhat suggestive, but she was trying to keep it to a minimum until the girl was more comfortable.</p><p>"Sounds like you and Weiss have had too many slumber parties. Talking about swapping clothes, trying on shoes…" Ruby giggled to herself. Though she wanted to power herself into going in head first, she knew in her own mind it would be a bad move. She wasn't ready, and would need to be it they were going to go further. Relaxing for a while was a good idea.</p><p>“Does it sound like that?” Winter breathed with a melancholy smile.</p><p>Whoops. Ruby sensed she had stepped on a land mine. "So… movie?"</p><p>"Of course." Leaving the room behind them, along with its ominous possibilities, Winter went on, "Why don't I set you up with my Netflix so you can pick something good, and then I'll pop us some popcorn? Unless you're a bit hungrier. I have several takeout menus."</p><p>"Popcorn is fine! Unless you're hungry, in which case I'll have something. Or if you're not we'll just stick to popcorn, I'm easy like that." But upon realising the irony of that last sentence, how when she they were leaving the bedroom to head back to the living room again, she laughed nervously. "Foodwise, I mean."</p><p>After taking a minute to mull that over, she asked, "Just answer quick, don't overthink it; pizza or Chinese?"</p><p>It didn't even take her a few seconds to decide. "Not to sound stereotypical because I'm half that, but… Chinese."</p><p>"Well then, my little wonton," she chuckled. By this point, she had turned on the TV and was just getting Netflix pulled up, but she took a moment to smile over at Ruby. "I'll get the menu for Hunan Dragon. Anything you want is yours."</p><p>"Ooo! Do they do crispy noodles or mushroom chow mein? I love that!" She grinned happily, taking her seat on the sofa as she eagerly waited for Winter to return with the menu. Maybe the evening wouldn't be so bad after all.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>An hour later, they were about halfway through their selected film, and their cartons of noodles and rice. Winter had opted for something with a lot of vegetables and a very slight amount of spice, and Ruby had her beloved chow mein, and they split an order of crab rangoons between them. Both of them were on their second drinks; the cumulative effect was beginning to show in them, but the aid of food was keeping either woman from turning into a bumbling fool just yet.</p><p>"You know, I never understood these films," Winter was saying as she finished off the last of her white rice. That they had been sitting closer and closer had not escaped her, but she hadn't been forcing it, either. "Why is he a wizard? Why him and not his brother, the fat one?"</p><p>"Because Dudley's a muggle, he can't see magic – and he’s a cousin, so he didn’t get the magical bloodline. Plus, he's not very nice until the very last book, but the film deleted the scene where he and Harry forgive each other which always annoys me." Ruby commented, clearly a fan of the series considering she admitted to reading the books as well as seeing the films. Now that one bottle had been finished, she found the confidence to lean further back into the sofa, and barely even noticed she was leaning against Winter's shoulder.</p><p>"Maybe we should draw a lightning bolt on your forehead," Winter chuckled, poking the tip of her index finger into the bridge-rest of Ruby's glasses. "Or would Penny be upset about that?"</p><p>"Over a lightning bolt?" Weakly shrugging her shoulders in the end, she simply giggled to herself. "Well if we taped my glasses up, we could say it's a cosplay."</p><p>"But didn't the bushy-haired girl fix that?" Taking a calculated risk, she draped her arm around Ruby's shoulders. Her intoxication level was just enough that the action looked entirely natural instead of stiff or unsure.</p><p>As luck would have it, Ruby didn't notice. In fact, she leant into the action a little more, resting her head rather contentedly against Winter's shoulder and nuzzling into it. "Because he doesn't know the spell but Hermione does! He's gotta learn it."</p><p>Nodding, Winter laid her own head against Ruby's as she sighed. "Ah. Well, I guess that's why they're at this school, isn't it?" Then crossed her legs in the opposite direction as she settled in more. "Thank you for teaching me the ways of the wizards."</p><p>Giving a small nod, she nuzzled against Winter yet again. Thanks to the mingling alcohol in her system, and the warm presence, she felt more than comfortable doing so. No longer was she worried about the fact it was someone in such an odd relation to her. All she cared about was that the warmth was welcoming.</p><p>"Thank you for letting me! Penny isn't all too interested in Harry Potter, nor Yang. Never really been able to nerd about it."</p><p>Stroking very idly up and down Ruby's bicep, she said, "Really? I find that surprising; Penny seems exactly the type."</p><p>The idle stroking was starting to awaken something in her. She had cuddled Penny before in the same way against the sofa at home, even cuddled in bed before they went to sleep. But when she knew Winter's intentions for the evening, and her own for that matter, it seemed to be the first step to initiate things.</p><p>To try and give Winter the upper hand, she began to tilt her head more, exposing more of her neck for the woman she was leaning against. "Nah… she's more Star Wars."</p><p>"Now there's a franchise I really didn't understand. Seemed more of a 'boys club'. But I guess it isn't if your friend is a fan." Winter didn't miss the tilt of the neck, and couldn't help but focus on it for a moment. But then she forced her eyes back to the movie. Ruby might not have even been entirely aware she was doing it, and she didn't want to overstep her bounds. Not yet.</p><p>"Girlfriend." Ruby had to correct. Even if it seemed like a minor detail, it was something that a lot of people forgot. Understandable perhaps, with them not being the most intimate couple, but it was important to Ruby.</p><p>And yet there she was, having agreed to come to another's apartment to engage in very intimate acts. Acts that she was still trying to leave hints she was ready for at last by leaving her neck exposed, and stroking one of Winter's legs idly.</p><p>The hand on the leg was a much more obvious green light than anything else. One Winter seized upon. "Sorry, 'girlfriend' it is," she said, raising the hand that had been on her arm to her neck and grazing the very tips of her fingernails up and down the skin. "I didn't want to make an assumption, and it seems I did in the other direction."</p><p>"It's okay. It's just not a… <em>sexual…</em> relationship." <em>Now</em> they were getting somewhere. The tips of her nails were creating small sensations of their own, right in such a sensitive part of her. One that didn't receive much attention from her partner apart from the odd peck. Continuing to stroke Winter's legs, she further adjusted her position, shuffling a little closer.</p><p>"I… have a question to ask you, if you don't mind," Winter breathed, her voice intentionally sensual as the scratching continued, as she bobbed one calf up and down to show she had noticed where Ruby's hand was. "But I don't have to ask it. We can go back to Harry and his wizardly world if you want."</p><p><em>Is this it? </em>It was all she could ask herself. She had no idea what to expect, but assumed this would lead to the activities they had chatted about. <em>Only one way to find out.</em></p><p>"What's that?"</p><p>No backing down now. Raising her neck up, Winter also gently pushed Ruby's upright so that she could stare into her eyes, holding her silvery gaze.</p><p>"Sorry if this isn't very sexy, but it's important." Clearing her throat, she went on, "You may be intoxicated. As you are, I can't just assume you're willing to… do things. Not like I would if you were definitely sober. I have to ask, and hear a clear answer. Am I allowed to kiss you?"</p><p>"…Oh." Well, it was one of her requests. Kissing was something she was reasonable at, something she and Penny did occasionally. But it was something she wanted to improve on. With a nod, she smiled. "Yes."</p><p>"For future reference," Winter breathed as she began to stroke the side of Ruby's neck again, turning in her seat so that they were facing each other properly, "am I allowed to touch your body?"</p><p>It sent another shiver down her spine. Oh how good that attention felt… she craved more of it, more attention to her body in general. If Winter could entice her by stroking her neck alone, what more was she capable of?</p><p>"You are."</p><p>A light smile pulled at her lips as the hand raised to tease lightly across cheek and temple. "Am I allowed… to take off your glasses, Harry?"</p><p>A smile that was mirrored in Ruby's own face. However, that was accompanied by the biting of her lip. Feeling a small bout of confidence for herself, she whispered, "If you'd like… or you could do that in the bedroom?"</p><p>"Hmm…" Reaching up, she gently pulled the glasses down her nose until they slipped out from behind her ears. Her mouth opened in a small, pretend-gasp. "Well, look at that; I can do it just fine right here."</p><p>"But I was trying- I- ugh, I have <em>no</em><span> game</span>!" Her attempt at seduction seemed to have failed. But it did at least get that small barrier out of the way. She was still smiling back at Winter rather than fleeing. And she still had a hand on her thigh.</p><p>"I hope this isn't too forward," Winter told her as the fingers slid down to her neck, "but you are absolutely beautiful." Their noses were almost touching. "Very much so."</p><p>"What? My glasses?" she tried to joke, leaning in so their noses touched. Maybe that would give Winter that little bit more incentive to begin.</p><p>"Did I say you, or your glasses?" The question may have been rhetorical, but she wasn't above driving her point home as her lips came to within a hair's breadth of Ruby's. Then she breathed, barely a whisper, "With or without them, you're stunning."</p><p>"Thank you." Usually she would argue, be unable to take such a compliment. But when it was coming from Winter Schnee, it seemed only fair that she take it. Why would Winter lie, anyway?</p><p>When she noticed how close their lips truly were, she finally let them reach their goal. Going forward the final fraction of an inch, she allowed her lips to come into contact with Winter's, kneading against them gently.</p><p>The kiss was not overly emotional, not a hungry, needy one such as might have taken place if the two of them were romantically interested in one another. But that wasn't to say Winter didn't allow her carnal desires to show through slightly as her lips pushed against Ruby's over and over, as their bodies drew slightly closer the longer it went on.</p><p>As time flew by, the two had ended up shuffling their bodies together onto the sofa. Ruby lay eagerly on top of the more dominant woman, kissing back with just as much energy as Winter was putting in. It was a slow, intimate kiss. One clearly to set the pace of how they wanted their evening to go. Anything more would have ruined the moment.</p><p>Though Winter was about to up the pace, now that they had at least grown a little more accustomed to the closeness. One hand remained just behind her head, but the other was gliding further down her back, resting just above her hindquarters, rubbing in light circles.</p><p>A soft hum sounded from her. A hum that showed she approved of Winter's actions. And when she pushed her backside more against Winter's hand to encourage more contact, it was clear that she was ready to take things up a notch. So she tried to make a few moves of her own, placing one hand on Winter's neck to hold her in place, and the other against her hip, running up and down her side slowly.</p><p>Then Winter's hand drifted past her end to begin hitching up her skirt, and inch at a time. It didn't take long to get it bunched enough to touch her thigh directly, which she did so, lightly, teasing. At the same time, she also allowed her own mouth to fall open; should Ruby be ready for that, the way was now clear for her.</p><p><em>This is so nice… Winter is a good kisser.</em> Yet again, she was fretting at herself internally, but she took the chance. Allowing her tongue to enter, she seemed to be beaming happily when they connected, allowing them to brush against one another slowly. No fierce battles, just gentle contact.</p><p><em>I wonder if Weiss kisses like this… I mean, they </em>are <em>sisters.</em> Then she verbally berated herself, <em>Oh my god… do NOT think about that, Ruby Rose. Do NOT think about how she looks like Weiss! That’s not cool! Winter is her own person, and she’s really hot! And nice!</em></p><p>For a few minutes, they remained like that, Winter's hand just resting on the back of Ruby's bare thigh and their tongues dancing with each other in a sensuous ballet. The more they writhed back and forth, the more she wanted, until she finally withdrew to gaze up at her, panting and breathless.</p><p>"You… are a quick study, Ruby."</p><p>Completely red, Ruby could only smile back giddily to the older Schnee. She knew not if it was to do with the alcohol, or just from how good the kiss was. Either way, it had accomplished what they wanted; she was feeling more than prepared to progress.</p><p>"Then teach me more," she encouraged, stroking Winter's side again.</p><p>Winter held her gaze as she slid her hand up to grip Ruby's rear firmly. Then she let out a small chuckle. "Are these silk? Very nice."</p><p>"EEP!" Feeling something as basic as Winter grasping one of her cheeks was enough to make that blush deepen, and she already looked a sight! But rather than edge away from the hand, she nodded, remaining still.</p><p>"Y-yeah… I really, <em>really </em>like silk, even… if I’ve never had any before today."</p><p>"I have some in the fridge." When Ruby's eyebrows drew together, she laughed, one of the most full laughs she had given in the girl's presence. "Silk. You know… the soy milk. Sorry, bad joke."</p><p>"Soy milk, huh?" She giggled at Winter's attempt at humour. She really was like her sister in that respect. No, time to cut that thought off before it came back again. And to do so, she bit her lip for a moment, before leaning in toward her ear and whispering, "It's got a matching bra, too."</p><p>Shivering slightly, Winter held her in place and whispered back in kind, "I wouldn't mind seeing that."</p><p>"Then…" Biting her lip once again, she looked into the icy blue eyes of her elder, and then toward the rear hallway leading to the bedrooms. "Do you wanna…?"</p><p>The smile she got in return was the barest amount more wolfish than any Winter had allowed herself up until that point. "You know things will move a lot faster once we're in there," she breathed as she sat up, kissing her lips briefly again. "Is that what you want?"</p><p>With the hand still on her rear, she allowed a moment to clench herself slightly against it, but it brought on an even bigger grin. She liked it, and was prepared for the pace to increase. "You bet."</p><p>However, Winter had something else in mind that Ruby might not have been prepared for. In a single fluid motion, she rose from the sofa and swept the smaller woman into her arms, sneakers dangling off to one side as she gazed down into her wide eyes.</p><p>"Shall we, then?"</p><p>There was another surprised yelp from Ruby. Within an instant, she threw her arms around Winter's neck for balance, looking back up into the icy blue eyes again. Once used to the weightless feeling of being in another's arms, she allowed herself to giggle. "We shall!"</p><p>And so Winter carried her down the hallway to her bedroom. By the time they entered, however, she was panting and had to drop Ruby quite heavily onto the bed.</p><p>"Whoo! Sorry, it's… not that you're heavy, just that my usual… yoga routine doesn't include so much… lifting!"</p><p>There was one more smaller yelp when she landed on the bed, but the instant she looked up at Winter's exhausted expression, she laughed to herself, quickly sitting up to face her. "Well I could have walked it if you were that tired! But y’know, that was fun!"</p><p>Taking a deep breath in, Winter let it out slowly, smiling down at her project for the evening. "Now… you had something you wanted to show me?" She was teasing, and it was obvious, but it was also part of the game.</p><p>The laughter slowly began to die down with Winter's words. She did somewhat want to show Winter that easily, but somehow she knew Winter wouldn't prefer that. She'd prefer to work for it. Therefore, she pushed her skirt downward again, covering back up the first item that was on show.</p><p>"Noooope?"</p><p>"Ohhhh," Winter replied, catching on to the teasing tone. "Well then… can I start here?" Her hand reached up to brush the tank top strap on Ruby's shoulder.</p><p>Taking a quick gaze at what she was doing, Ruby found her cheeks going red once again. But she nodded in approval. It was just the one sleeve for now, but no doubt she knew Winter would be taking the entire top off.</p><p>"That reminds me…" she trailed off, stopping Winter from progressing. "Why did you want my clothing sizes?"</p><p>"Don't worry about that right now," she reassured her gently as she traced her fingertip over the strap. Red. That told her Ruby was definitely in the state of mind to do fun things together, and had been in the planning of their evening. To that end, she asked, "Are you ready for me to get you out of these clothes?"</p><p>Despite her previous want for Winter to work at it, she was too desperate to see what the night entailed. Too eager to keep going. With a small nod, she raised her arms for Winter to do as she pleased. "Ready."</p><p>With no further delay, Winter began to peel the tank up and over Ruby's head, tossing it up toward the pillows. Then she ran her hands over the smooth stomach that had been revealed, gentle and attentive.</p><p>"I like your bra," she told her quite simply. "Red is your colour, definitely."</p><p>Smiling back warmly, she leant into Winter's touch willingly. It felt good to have such soft hands making their way over its surface, especially those of Winter Schnee. "Thank you," she whispered. "Everyone else seems to think so. E-everyone that I've shown, I mean."</p><p>"Do you show a lot of people your bra? Interesting…" But then she laughed to show she was only joking as the hands slid down Ruby's hips and legs, removing her shoes. Then she glanced down… and snorted with further laughter.</p><p>"You have socks with bunnies on them."</p><p>Ruby ended up covering her face with her hands, groaning outward in embarrassment. Instinctively she drew her legs back in, trying to keep them out of Winter's view. "UGH, I <em>knew </em>I shoulda picked a plain pair!"</p><p>Still chuckling, Winter patted her calf. They were no-shows; it was easily enough remedied, and she didn't want to embarrass Ruby any more than was necessary. Not when they were still growing used to each other. In a heartbeat, her fingers and thumbs pinched between the two longest toes on each foot and yanked the socks free, dropping them on top of the sneakers.</p><p>"Problem solved. See? Don't worry about it, I was only teasing."</p><p>Slowly dragging her hands down her face again, she began to peek over them, trying still to keep her blush hidden from Winter. But a sign that she appreciated such reassurance came when she brought her leg forward, and lightly tapped Winter’s shoulder with her foot. "Just don't want to ruin the mood."</p><p>"You haven't," he promised her, catching the foot and kissing the soft curve of her calf muscle. "Relax. I'm going to slip into something more comfortable, if you don't mind."</p><p>"Not at all." She began to smile. Although, her hands had began to train down her own body teasingly, until they got to the waistline of her skirt. In an attempt to be just as sultry as Winter, she half closed her eyes. "Do you want me to remove this for when you get back?"</p><p>"Please, if you prefer." Then she opened her wardrobe, acquired a couple of things that she hid behind herself, and backed toward the Japanese folding screen. "I'll try not to take too long, but if I do… well, you can help yourself to another drink."</p><p>"I think you're trying to get me drunk," she joked, but continued to smile and giggle to herself as Winter vanished behind the screen. In a quick movement, she had her skirt off and on the floor with the rest of her clothes, and lay back on the bed by herself.</p><p>
  <em>Okay Ruby, be sexy. And be you. Be sexy-you! And don't think about how much she looks like Weiss or how much you want to blog about this!</em>
</p><p>That last thought had her covering her face yet again. Why couldn't she get that thought out of her mind? Weiss was with her sister, <em>engaged </em>to her sister! Thinking such thoughts about her was wrong, especially when she was about to be sleeping with someone else. And yet, she had pined for Weiss for <em>years</em> before Yang started working for her. Those feelings weren't going to vanish easily.</p><p>
  <em>Alright! Just… Just don't end up calling her name or something. That'd be humiliating.</em>
</p><p>Meanwhile, there were a few ominous noises from behind the screen. Clinking and clunking. Had Winter been wearing a belt before? Not that she had seen. It certainly was taking a while for her to finish.</p><p>"Almost done, I promise!" Winter grunted eventually.</p><p>"O-okay!" While she was waiting, she thought she might as well make an effort to appear appealing, and so raised her hands either side her head. She remembered the few poses she'd managed to see in a few magazines and attempted to copy one of them, to try and appear as sexy as possible with one hand on her hip, lying on her side.</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, nailed it.</em>
</p><p>When Winter came out from behind the screen, she was wearing a silky, pale blue kimono-style robe over a matching negligee. Nothing more. She had even taken her hair out of its usual bun, and it cascaded down her shoulders in gentle waves of platinum.</p><p>"Oh…" Turning her gaze toward the older woman as she lay back on the bed, she found her cheeks lighting up again. Beautiful, again something like she'd find in a magazine, like she'd aimed for in the first place. It was enough to entice her, flatter Winter's form, and put her at ease all at once.</p><p>
  <em>Okay... Winter is no consolation-Weiss. She’s a heck of a woman all on her own. Don’t screw this up, Ruby!</em>
</p><p>"Do you like it? I…" Winter hesitated, then looked down a little bashfully. "I've actually never had occasion to wear it <em>for </em>someone. I mean, you know what sort of activities I usually get up to, and they don't involve… well, I'd be wearing something with more spikes."</p><p>"Or nothing, I guess. It does look really pretty, and suits you!"</p><p>The tiniest bit of pink was in Winter's cheeks now. "Thank you. And you look fantastic in that, honestly." Planting herself on the side of the bed, she reached over to trace a hand up and down Ruby's thigh. "Enticing."</p><p>"I tried my best. I didn't know what you'd like or if you even liked girls that much, so I… figured I'd try something out." She smiled, watching Winter's every move eagerly. Those hands could work miracles, she was sure.</p><p>"Normally, I'm not dead set against them or especially interested. But you're very… persuasive somehow." Leaning down, she pressed her lips into the flat surface just above Ruby's navel. It was such a light touch, like the whisper of a ghost. It was enough to coax a giggle from her, and to continue to watch Winter's actions.</p><p>So she was one of a few, eh? Or one of the <em>only </em>ones? That was unexpected. It was certainly enough to make the girl feel very special. And all she wanted to do was please her elder.</p><p>Which reminded her… "I think," she began, licking her lips lightly from nerves. "I think I wanna try the bad puppy first."</p><p>"We can do that," Winter sighed, kissing lower. Then she paused, eyes turning upward without the rest of her face doing so. "Or that is… did you mean right <em>now?"</em></p><p>Biting her lip once again, she hesitated. Winter seemed to want to finish her with her mouth already. Maybe that was her plan, to finish once regularly and then begin play after. Such a prospect was making her redder in the face again, and her nerves grew. But play took preparation and set up. It would buy a lot of time for her to prepare for if she did actually let herself be pleasured tonight, and she'd be able to do something for Winter first. With that in mind, she nodded.</p><p>"Y-yeah. Yes, please."</p><p>"Oh." Winter sat back a little, blinking in obvious surprise. "Well… alright, I suppose we could… yeah."</p><p>"J-just so you're not waiting around too long, I mean! I want this to be fun for you, too, so… it’s a party for… everybody!" She fumbled at her words again, nerves seeming to resurface within her. But at the very least, she was willing herself to keep going.</p><p>Winter crawled up to lay next to Ruby, draping her arm around her middle. She leaned in as if to kiss her, but turned to whisper into her ear at the last moment. "I was already having fun. Remember when we discussed the 'first date' experience? That's what I was going for. And I was really enjoying it."</p><p>"Oh…" Now she felt a fool. That little lie made her out to be assuming things out of place. That wouldn't do. Finally moving her hands from the elegant position she'd kept herself in all this time, she rolled to face her, looking up nervously. "Then… can we keep kissing and hugging a while then? I’m not sure I wanna do more stuff just yet."</p><p>"Absolutely." There wasn't even a moment's hesitation, and she had been smiling gently the entire time. "And we don't have to do 'more stuff' at all." Pressing her lips into Ruby's, she slid the arm around to push into her back and hold them closer together, eyes sliding closed.</p><p>To accept that response, Ruby slid her arms around Winter in return. One hand went straight into her long, platinum hair, holding her head against her so they could continue to kiss longer. The other had began to rub up and down her back.</p><p><em>"Silk…"</em> She couldn't help but smile to herself, eager to touch more softness, to embrace it. It was a little thing, but one she loved.</p><p>A lot sooner than their previous kiss, their tongues were sliding together, and now their bare legs were tangling, holding each other in a tighter embrace still. A heated little groan floated out of Winter's throat into the space between their lips at the pleasant sensations. And Ruby returned the favour. She continued to slide her tongue against Winter's, humming with interest at the sensations. Unable to help herself, she managed to sneak one of her legs between Winter's, using it to bring her in closer.</p><p>Another unintended side effect was a soft moan she made into her mouth. One that clearly signalled something. Once the leg glided up high enough, Winter hummed again, the slender thigh pressing into her through the silk material of her nightie. She found herself completely fascinated with the way Ruby could be both frightened and bold at the same time; such a unique paradox.</p><p>Eventually, Ruby broke away the kiss with one final moan of her own. But it wasn't over yet. She continued to embrace the older woman, cuddle her up closely and feel around her body. That counted at the first date experience, right? To cuddle and kiss in undies?</p><p>That was when Winter remembered something else Ruby seemed to enjoy. Her mouth sought out the vulnerable neck, kneading into it and grazing it with her teeth every so often as they shifted against each other.</p><p><em>"Oooh…"</em> Ruby seemed to purr out, allowing her eyes to fall shut while her fragile neck was attacked and kissed. It was one of her weaknesses, more than she cared to admit. On the odd occasion Penny was feeling up to things, it was always the first place she aimed for. Gripping more of the silken clothing, she relaxed into the various fussings over her body, growling with delight at them all. Silken clothes and soft lips - she was in heaven!</p><p>"You smell divine," Winter told her after a few more minutes of light play. Her hands and legs had not moved any further, though every once in awhile, her hips rolled slightly up against the thigh.</p><p>"So do you." She hadn't really thought about it before, but she did. It was a soft fragrance that reminded her of the cold air, like on the rare holiday they used to take in the northern states for skiing. But how contradictory it was that Winter smelled so cold, yet made her feel so warm in an embrace.</p><p>One of the woman's experienced fingers slid up Ruby's back just under the strap of her bra, grazing up and down lightly. There was no move made toward the clasp, only to titillate the skin that had been hiding underneath. And she gasped. Though Ruby was prepared for this eventuality, she didn't think Winter would be so eager! Even if it was just to touch the skin beneath, it was more than welcome. In fact…</p><p>"Do you want it off?" she asked, backing her head away for a moment so she could look into those icy blue eyes again.</p><p>"Do <em>you </em>want it off?" Winter countered easily, though her hand withdrew from under the straps to rest very gently against the clasp. "I want what you want."</p><p>She didn't answer with words. Only with a more confident action. Reaching behind her, she managed to unclasp the bra rather easily, soon bringing it forward and off her chest. After throwing it aside with the rest of her clothes, she looked back to Winter for her approval.</p><p>But all Winter did at first was to lean down and leave light kisses on the top of each breast, well away from the sensitive peaks. Then she leaned her head up again to leave a tiny peck on the tip of her nose.</p><p>Giggling yet again, Ruby could only continue to smile. Winter truly did know how to put her at ease, with every little step. Even when half naked, she didn't feel afraid. In fact, the light kisses had her feeling something very strange. Empowered.</p><p>Speaking of which… "I think I'm ready now. For real, this time."</p><p>"Ready for what?" Then she made sure to follow up with, "You can tell me, or show me. Whichever works for you. Also, you can feel free to do whatever you want to me tonight if you feel up to some exploration."</p><p>"Ready to begin… <em>playing,</em>" she clarified. Slightly hunching her shoulders as she smiled up at Winter, she then looked over toward the wardrobe. Winter had seemed to very quickly get what she wanted, then suddenly shut it before Ruby could get a good look. No doubt there were more items in there for these methods of play. "I'm pretty curious how you'll dress me up."</p><p>Chuckling, Winter left one last kiss on Ruby's cheek before rising. “You say that now. We’ll see.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Welcome back to the universe of White Noise! Sorry this took so long to get posting, I wanted it to be the best it can be before posting the first chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy all the craziness from myself and B.A.Y. that you've come to expect, and maybe a few new surprises. For those of you into Princess and the Dragons, don't worry, it's not going anywhere.</p><p>Happy reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: Petplay, cunnilingus, fingering, female ejaculation, urine discussion.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 2 </b>
</p><p>Ruby found herself questioning her life decisions as she sat on the edge of Winter Schnee’s bed, swinging her calves and watching the elder woman cross the room to the wardrobe. This could go very well, or very, very badly, but the time had passed for hesitation and second-guesses. Winter seemed to care enough about her that, even if she wound up not liking what was going to happen next, she would take care of her and reassure her that everything was going to be fine.</p><p>"Alright, I'll show you a little something I got you. But do you want me to dress you up, or let you put it on yourself?" Even as she asked, Winter was reaching toward the wardrobe. “This is your show; I’m just the ringmaster.”</p><p>Putting her hand to her chin, Ruby thought on that. Although it would be easy to be in control and do it herself, the thought of Winter so intimately dressing her was alluring enough. So alluring that she said, "You can, if you want to?"</p><p>The easy smile turned just the tiniest bit wicked. Crooking her finger, Winter beckoned her closer as her other hand raised not to the door of the wardrobe, but to the top of it. "Then step right this way, Miss Rose. I'll prepare you for training."</p><p>And then Winter turned to the closet, the one that had lain innocently closed the entire time. Using a key she had apparently retrieved moments before, she unlocked and opened the mysterious door. Biting her lip once more, Ruby did just as she was asked. Hopping off the bed and walking toward the closet doors, she eagerly awaited to see what Winter had prepared for their evening together.</p><p>And what a sight to behold! It was full to the brim with various objects for different play. A lot of it suggested that she was a more submissive role the majority of the time, considering the rope and the carabiners that could attach to the anklets and gloves in there. But there were other, more suggestive items.</p><p>One that particularly caught Ruby's eye was a long tail, attached to an average-sized, tapered implement… one she could only assume was meant to go somewhere quite unusual. It may feed into her “bad puppy” fantasy, but the small girl could only hope Winter wouldn't ask her to wear <em>that.</em></p><p>"And this… is you." Withdrawing from the clothing rack, she displayed a hangar to Ruby that held what looked to be a somewhat… <em>furry </em>one-piece bathing suit. Light tan in colour and featuring a white "underbelly", it really did seem to be something intended to make one's body look like that of an animal.</p><p>Ruby heaved a small sigh of relief. She could see that attached to the suit the other side, was a small tail of its own - one that wasn't very long in length, but did the trick. At least she wouldn't have to wear the plug. But when she looked back at the outfit again, she found her cheeks reddening. She really was going to look the part, besides the paws and the ears, perhaps.</p><p>"It looks super cute!"</p><p>"This isn't all of it," Winter informed her as she nipped it off the hanger, "but it's a start. We said we were taking little steps, right?" Then she put the hanger back on the rack and said, "Now… I will need to get rid of what you're wearing, as this will fit pretty snug. Besides, the leg holes are a little high-cut, and they would show. But I promise it's all I'm going to do. That alright?"</p><p>So she would be naked. Naked except for a furry costume. It was to be expected, given that she'd come knowing they were to engage in more for the evening. But now that the moment had arrived, it was more than enough to bring a bright blush to Ruby's cheeks.</p><p>Still, she nodded, taking it from her, then looking to the folding screen. "I'll try it on then."</p><p>And Winter didn't say a word. Even though Ruby had said she was going to let her dress her up, she understood; it was a bit different being asked to get entirely nude for the first time in front of a near-stranger. She merely handed over the garment and said, "Hopefully it fits as advertised."</p><p>Once walking behind the screen, Ruby made short work of the silk panties; tossing them over the top of the screen for Winter to quite easily see. Then came the task of trying on the furry material. It wasn't as nice against her skin as silk, in fact the material felt rather scratchy and itchy. But it was the knowledge that she would only have to wear it for an evening that powered her through, and she slid the straps over her shoulders to secure it in place.</p><p>Although there was a sudden gasp from Ruby. Something she hadn't noticed before was becoming extremely apparent. Reaching her hand down to pat between her legs, she noticed a feature in the costume that she didn't see before.</p><p>"Winter? There's a hole in this! D-downstairs. Maybe you should get your money back."</p><p>The answer she received wasn't terribly complex. "There's supposed to be one." Then there was a pause for effect, and for the meaning to sink in.</p><p>
  <em>"Oooohhh…"</em>
</p><p>And then Ruby walked out from behind the screen. Yet again, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking up with bright red cheeks for her approval. The hole around her crotch felt huge, but in fact to anyone else, it was barely noticeable. Unless they actively looked for it.</p><p>In fact, from her vantage point, Winter couldn't see a thing. But she wasn't focusing on that, anyway. Instead, she was holding up a few other items, waiting for Ruby to get an eyeful. In one hand, a red leather studded collar; simple, a placeholder for now. In the other, a black Alice headband with two furry ears stuck on.</p><p>"C'mere, girl!" Winter said gently, as if she were calling a dog. Because now, she was.</p><p>For another moment, Ruby had paused again; getting a good look at the other items in her hand. Once more she'd began to blush, especially at the collar. That would be a real sign of ownership. But not wanting to disappoint, she attempted to play the role. Letting her tongue hang from her mouth and panting, she walked toward her. "Arf arf!"</p><p>"Good girl!" Winter cooed. If Ruby had been expecting her to laugh or poke fun at her, that was proven wrong as she reached out to stick the headband into her hair gently, adjusting it so that it sat as a normal headband would. Then she reached to just behind her human ear and scratched lightly.</p><p>"And how is my little…" Her voice changed back to its usual tone. "Did you want another name while in petspace?"</p><p>"I didn't think that far…" Ruby mentioned, leaning against Winter's hand as it lightly scratched at her ears. What could she name herself? Zwei would be too weird, even if that was her dog. As would Fido or Fluffy or any of those usual petnames. Perhaps something a little more refined…</p><p>"How about um, ‘Lady’?" At least that one was somewhat noble-sounding.</p><p>"Lady," Winter mused as her scratching ceased, though she left the hand there to support Ruby's head. "Yeah, that sounds just the thing. Hello, Lady."</p><p>"Hello- I mean… Arf." Oops, she had forgotten already! In order to try and correct her action, she rubbed her head still against Winter's hand affectionately, smiling all the while.</p><p>"It's okay," Winter laughed. "As I said, today is just a training session; you can mess up without being scolded or anything." Then she held up the collar and the tag jingled slightly. It was a blank tag, ready to be engraved. "Is Lady ready to put this on?"</p><p>"Y-" she had been about to answer vocally, but stopped herself before she managed to get that far. Instead she just nodded. That was allowed, dogs could nod. To further play into the act, she also raised her hands up, holding them in a begging position.</p><p>Winter's smile grew ever more, and she reached out to caress the side of Ruby's head with one hand briefly as the other brought the collar up. Nimble fingers undid the buckle and slid the leather strap free, guiding it around either side of Ruby's neck before she fastened it.</p><p>"Just whine if it's too tight," she whispered as she finished off, giving Ruby about a centimeter of wiggle room between her and the new collar.</p><p>No whine came. In contrast to the costume, the collar fit snugly and comfortably, with enough space for Winter to get her hands under and tug if she required to. Even if blank, the tag was a nice touch. A true mark of ownership. Looking up to her master, she smiled nervously, awaiting for her next commands. Or any further parts for the costume.</p><p>"Now," she sighed, reaching back behind her for yet more parts. These, however, were something she hadn't been expecting; kneepads. They were the same shade as the rest of the "fur". Kneeling down herself, she held one below Ruby's left foot and asked, "Step up for me?"</p><p>"Hmm?" It had certainly gotten her attention, what would she want Ruby to wear knee pads for of all things? But not arguing, she did as asked, putting her foot through the hole to work with her. Adjusting it quickly, her new master moved to do the same for her other knee. Then she picked up what was to be the final two pieces of the costume.</p><p>"Now," Winter said as she held out one of the fluffy paw-mittens. "Once these are on your hands, you're going to be a little more helpless than before. This is one of the 'play' conditions in which it's useful to remember the safeword, since you won't have your fingers free to reach out and stop whatever's going on. Not that I need you to use it today, since this is just practice, but you said you wanted to know how this stuff works."</p><p>"Oh yeah… That was something Qrow mentioned, when he attacked that Roman guy. Something about him ignoring them?" Judging by Winter's blank face at the mere mention of his name, Ruby quickly cleared her throat, changing the subject whilst she held her hand out. "Okay, so I say it when I'm in trouble, right?"</p><p>Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Winter seemed to bring herself back around after a moment or two. When they opened again, she smiled gently as she began to slide the paw onto Ruby's hand. "Exactly. If you're in pain, or even if you're just very uncomfortable with what's going on. For today, you can also just tell me to stop the usual way and I will, but if we're both deep in play, especially in… consent play, a Dom might not take 'please stop' seriously." The last was said with some discomfort. "But the safeword is like the emergency brake."</p><p>"Okay, I get it." Ruby said with confidence, even giving a reassuring nod as she held her other hand forward. Giving a small test on how the paws felt, the main thing Ruby noticed was the lack of thumbs. Picking up anything would be nigh impossible in these. "Why don't we try it now, though? Like you said, this is a practice, so I gotta be ready."</p><p>"Alright. Let's begin." Stepping back, she put her hands on her hips for a moment, then pointed to the floor. "Sit, Lady."</p><p>"B-but we never-" Maybe she'd be told later. Choosing to obey her master rather than question it further, she did as she was told. Crouching down she placed her hands on the ground, putting herself in a doglike sitting position.</p><p>"Never what?" Winter asked. This really was a non-hardline session, as she was asking questions instead of scolding her for breaking character.</p><p>"We never, um… decided a word," she clarified, looking down bashfully. "Sorry."</p><p>Both of the woman's pale eyebrows arched. "Oh! Oh, right, that would be important… hmm. What's a word you wouldn’t typically say during sex, that you will definitely remember?"</p><p>"Hmm…" She had been about to press her hand against her chin, but instead was welcomed by the large plushness of the glove. Quickly recovering right after a nervous laugh, she spoke. "How about… 'Strawberry'?"</p><p>"Alright, strawberry. Strawberry…" She was repeating it to herself, not truly for Ruby's benefit. "Got it; the safeword is 'strawberry'. Now, let me see you beg."</p><p>Supporting herself on her knees rather than her feet, Ruby did as she was told. Reaching upward with her hands and curling them into a begging position as she sat upright, waiting patiently for any other commands.</p><p>"Good girl!" she cooed down at her with a big smile. "Shame I didn't think to buy some tiny cookies or something as treats. Ah well." Then she began to twirl her hand in the air. "Roll over."</p><p>"Maybe if we do this again?" she asked. Returning her hands to the ground, she immediately crouched low down, rolling to one side, and then sitting herself upright again straight after.</p><p>"Yes, I think so. I wanted to focus on getting the outfit right this time, of course." Winter snapped her fingers and lifted them, just like an actual dog trainer. "Speak!"</p><p>Looking upward obediently, she yipped as loudly as she could, continuing to sit patiently right after for more commands. Already the shame of being treated like an animal was making her cheeks heat up. And there was another result she didn't care to admit just yet - but Winter would likely find that out herself if this session continued.</p><p>"Very good, Lady, very good. Now, on your back! Go on!" The commands came so easily to her; obviously, Ruby was not her first pet.</p><p>Returning to the floor, Lady rolled onto her back. Holding her legs and arms up, she was still trying to make herself appear as canine as possible. Hands returning to the begging position, she also further played into the role by letting her tongue hang out of her mouth.</p><p>Reaching over closer, Winter began to rub up and down her belly, careful not to stray too far down. She did, however, caress her chest now and again. All the while, her gaze was calm and loving. Ruby blushed yet harder when the soft hands began to caress her chest. Even through the uncomfortable suit, it was a stimulating feeling, one that she hadn't felt in a while. Winter knew just where to pay attention, to bring out the best reactions in her.</p><p>"Does that feel good, girl?" After a few more scrubbings, she straightened and sighed as she began to push to her feet. "Now then, follow me into the kitchen. Come on!"</p><p>"O-oh, oka- um. Bark bark!" Yet again, she struggled to maintain her character. But getting onto her hands and knees, she followed Winter through the apartment, managing to just stay by her heel all the while to seem as obedient as possible.</p><p>Even the subtle action of crawling was causing air to hit her sex through the opening in the suit. A strange feeling, one that was making her wetter.</p><p>Once in the kitchen, the master reached up into a cabinet and withdrew a wide-bottomed black bowl. Then she carried it over to the sink and began filling it. Only once she had finished these tasks and began to lower it to the floorspace at the end of the counter did it become clear what she meant to happen.</p><p>"You must be a thirsty puppy."</p><p>Raising an eyebrow, Ruby looked down at the bowl questioningly. How on earth was she supposed to accomplish that task? It was completely humiliating.</p><p>But that was the whole point, wasn't it? She was supposed to be a puppy – a lesser being. Showing her willingness to obey, she leant in, trying her best to delicately lap at the water. She had little success.</p><p>"Awwww, puppy is having problems," Winter cooed in a sad tone of voice. "Shall I help her?"</p><p>There was no more forewarning than that before a light amount of pressure was being applied to the back of Ruby's head. It wasn't much; just enough to lower her head another half-inch or so.</p><p>"Wait wha-"</p><p>The rest of her words were cut off when her mouth hit the water. Though she could still breathe through her nose, she had a task at hand, so at least she didn't panic. Rather than lapping with her tongue, she did just as she was asked instead, drinking water as best she could by slurping it into her mouth.</p><p>The toes of Winter's foot flexed in Ruby's hair as she maintained perfect balance, one hand braced against the edge of the counter. "There, isn't that better? Lady was so thirsty!"</p><p>Once the bowl was half way down, Ruby was finally trying to retract her head, having had enough. From where she had accidentally managed to inhale some water she coughed, shaking her head to recover.</p><p>The pressure against her head vanished, and instead began to stroke down her back. "Now, does Lady need to go walkies?" Then she whispered, clearly not as part of their play, "Just to the bathroom, not actually outside."</p><p>At that Ruby's eyes snapped open wide. She'd had a drink of water, and knew well enough what walkies straight after that meant from having a dog of her own! Breaking the character, she asked, "You're not gonna make me actually go, are you?! I can't do that!"</p><p>"You can," Winter insisted gently, gazing down at her without any malice or irritation, nor any shame. But she was still coolly confident. "Of course, you might not want to today, and you won't be required. But other Doms who are into petplay might command you to go. You'll want to decide if you might at least consent to 'number one', or to tell them beforehand that it's one of your limits." After a heartbeat, she added in an undertone, "I was going to let you use the toilet, too…"</p><p>"Oh…" She hunched her shoulders. It was probably something she should have expected, considering it was one of the most common things dogs did. And yet, for a sexual situation, it was something that intimidated her. She was already intimidated enough by the thought of accidentally-</p><p>"I-I… think that's a limit," she quickly blurted out, looking down. "I can't… A-And I don't need to, anyway. Sorry."</p><p>Winter sighed before telling her with a gentle smile, "Quite alright. Would you like to come keep me company in bed for a while?"</p><p>Finally relaxing again, Ruby nodded, looking up with a grateful smile. At least she wasn't disappointed, again. That seemed to be Ruby's main concern. Determined not to disappoint any further, she got straight back to her hands and knees, crawling to Winter's side.</p><p>Once back in the bedroom, Winter quickly crossed to the bedside and patted the mattress with one hand. "Up!"</p><p>Making an effort to impress, Ruby took a moment to crouch properly, wiggling her backside to shake the tail on the suit, before hopping upward and onto the bed. Even if the landing wasn't exactly dignified, she at least made it up without embarrassing herself too badly. Getting into a sitting position, she awaited for her master to join her.</p><p>Soon after, Winter settled herself into the bed, acting as if she were about to spend an hour or two relaxing there before drifting off to sleep. Pulling Ruby up toward her head by her collar, she reached to the bedside table and took up a remote, using it to turn on the wall-mounted television on the wall opposite the bed.</p><p>Laying by her side, Ruby barely dared to make a move. She hadn't been commanded to go anywhere, or do anything else. All Winte was doing was laying, seeming to be ready to watch TV. Despite the low volume, and the fact it could easily be background noise, Ruby didn't know what else to do. Whether or not to make a move.</p><p>So she whispered, "Is everything okay?"</p><p>"Well," Winter answered in the same tone, "I'm honestly not sure where to go from here. You're new to this, so I'm not ready to start in on you with everything I would for a more experienced sub. Do you… have any requests?"</p><p>In all honesty, she did not. She had experienced as much as she thought possible for the actual pet side. The rest was sexual contact, which was something she wasn't ready for, either.</p><p>Or… was she? Perhaps not toward herself, but on Winter? She knew that the dom was in control of both of their pleasures, and it was up to them what order things occurred, or how regularly. She could command Ruby at her whim, and she would obey.</p><p>"What about other commands?" she asked. "Like… Subs are meant to please their masters, right? I could maybe…"</p><p>At this suggestion, Winter leaned away very slightly to blink down at her. "Are you ready for that? Please say 'yes'," she added in a very slightly more suggestive tone, her voice husky as she allowed herself a hint of a smirk.</p><p>There was barely a moment's hesitation before Ruby nodded. But Winter needed to hear the words. She wanted to be sure Ruby meant it. And so, looking back into her eyes, she whispered, "Yes. I wanna try, at least."</p><p>The smirk only grew. "Don't forget, Lady… your paws won't be of much use here." Her thighs began to part very slowly, though she made no move to force Ruby down there with her hands. Merely stroked along her shoulder the way she had begun doing the minute they laid down together.</p><p>Slowly, she began to get on her 'paws' again and edged her face toward the inner thighs. She had been about to raise her hand, to nudge her underwear aside for access, but stopped when she noticed the massive paws again. She'd have to do this a dog way. So she headed inward, nuzzling the material to one side as best she could with her nose. It took longer than usual, but no doubt the effort Ruby made to get such an easy task done was enticing for Winter.</p><p>"Oooh," Winter sighed shakily with every blunt push up against her sex from the button nose of her pet. "My little doggie seems quite frisky today. Does she… smell something she likes?"</p><p>Satisfied with how far apart she'd nuzzled her legs, Ruby went in for the kill, letting out her tongue again to trail up and down between Winter's sodden lips. It was far wetter than Ruby first realised! But she lapped at it without any complaints, happy to taste her master.</p><p>"Oh goodness," Winter sighed, pausing to swallow and inhale a shaky breath. "You're not wasting any time… good girl, good girl!"</p><p>Right against Winter's sex, 'Lady' moaned. It had been a long long time since she and Penny were last intimate, and even longer since she was allowed to please her in this way. She more or less forgot what another's flower tasted like! But Winter was different from Penny. She couldn't say whether it was better or not, but it was different. And she enjoyed savouring her – so much she continued to hold her legs apart as she lapped more.</p><p>After she had grown used to the sensation, to the rhythm of Ruby's soft tongue, her hips began to buck up into the face nestled between her legs. She could already tell it wasn't going to take long if she was this skilled! A pleasant surprise indeed. Licking her lips, she began to let out gentle breaths of pleasure with every thrust up into the tongue.</p><p>The moans of pleasure were a good sign. Maybe Ruby hadn't gone rusty in the interim. She loved Penny, well and truly, but it felt good to have someone else to practice her skills with. To not only please them for her own delight, but to keep herself in top form on the once-in-a-blue-moon occasion Penny did want to do something. If only she could thank Winter for this chance.</p><p>Perhaps she would. With a satisfactory experience. Looping her paws under Winter's thighs, Ruby held her firmly in place, burying her mouth right against Winter's sex as she lapped at it over and over again, trying to press in as roughly as she could.</p><p>And Winter completely lost herself in the writhing and panting of her own performance, so pleased was she by the attentions being paid her fragile flesh. Perhaps Ruby was new to the BDSM game, but she was certainly no slouch in that department. Her technique might be rough around the edges, but the eagerness and thirst for the action more than made up for that.</p><p>Quickly taking a moment to peek up at her master's expression, she could only smile to herself against the flesh. She looked a picture of ecstasy. But it wasn't over yet, she was going to make sure of that. Finally her tongue trailed further upward, beginning to lap and lick at her sensitive clit. Over and over again she circled and flicked, using whatever actions she could to try and get her going.</p><p>"O-OH!" Winter burst out at the heightened sensation. Ruby really did know her way around a woman! Raising her legs up, she rested them against Ruby's back as one of her hands came down to clutch into her hair, hoping to encourage her to lap faster and harder, if she so chose.</p><p>Now that she had a hand firmly pulling at her hair, Ruby could moan once again. Making the last ditch effort, she continued to lap as hard as she could against her clit over and over again, hoping to send her rocketing to her finish. It would be an honour of she managed it, but only time would tell.</p><p>However, no matter how completely overcome with pleasure as Winter was growing, she was still a professional. "Ohhh, good GIRL, Lady! YES! F-finish your dinner!" She was so close - within arm's length of an earth-shattering climax! "A-almost done!" she reassured the girl.</p><p>If only her hands were free, then she really could finish Winter off in style, by putting something inside her while her clit was paid attention to. Too bad. Or perhaps she could anyway…</p><p>It would take some effort, but she moved her face again to adjust herself. This time, her nose was pressed in against the nub instead, where she continued to nuzzle while her tongue went back to lapping up and down for a moment, only for her to then wiggle it against Winter's entrance. With a little more perseverance, she managed to push it inside, in and out her wet opening as best she could.</p><p>A minute of that was all that was needed; Ruby had the right idea, and executed it perfectly. Panting louder and louder, Winter found herself squealing in delight, bucking up against the torturous tongue as her orgasm blossomed into reality, shaking all over as she panted and writhed. It was one of the better ones a woman had ever given her, that was an absolute certainty.</p><p>Allowing Winter to ride it out till the very end, she continued to push her nose right against the clit and her tongue in and out for a few moments longer. Finally when the screams of ecstasy had died down, she drew her face back, panting heavily herself now that she was free. She could still feel Winter's wetness over her lips, having to lick them to be rid of it. The taste of a satisfied customer, she thought.</p><p>"Was that good?" she asked questioningly, tilting her head once she looked up again. "Haven’t done that in a few months."</p><p>"Verrrry good," Winter drawled weakly as she panted to catch her breath. Her hand had fallen from Ruby's hair when she drew away, and now it drifted up and down her own stomach as she basked in the afterglow. "Ohhh, you're very accomplished, aren't you?"</p><p>Licking her lips yet again, she nodded rather eagerly, crawling further forward to nuzzle herself back into Winter's side again, just as they were before. At least now that had been done, they could cuddle up and relax for the rest of the evening. If Winter let her stay that long.</p><p>"I'm glad." Ruby replied happily. "Penny always said I was kinda skilled with my tongue. Guess she was right!"</p><p>Having caught her wind, she pushed herself up onto one elbow to better see her partner for the evening. "But you've said she doesn't enjoy your efforts? That's… I can't imagine that, to be entirely honest with you. Not after what you just did for me!"</p><p>Allowing herself the luxury of resting her head on the pillow, she backtracked, "She does when she's in the mood, don't get me wrong! But that's pretty rare for her to want anything. Like Shining Charizard card rare. Which is totally fine, of course; I still love her and all! I just… wanna be good for her when she <em>does</em> want it. Plus I got my own needs."</p><p>"Hmm… I have a hard time understanding that from a personal standpoint, but it does stand to reason. Not everyone has to enjoy this like I do." One palm pressed into her shoulder as she leaned over and kissed Ruby's lips, and not hesitantly at all. "Thank you for such good work."</p><p>Ruby smiled bashfully back at Winter, taking a moment to nuzzle into her again and bask in her warmth. "Anytime."</p><p>"And I don't mind telling you… it isn't as though I'm interested in you romantically, but I do find you quite attractive, so far as women go. Fun to spend time with, to play with."</p><p>The blush couldn't get any brighter from before. However, such a remark did bring about a giggle from her. "Y'know what'd be funny? If you and I <em>did</em> get romantic. It'd be like a role reversal of Yang and Weiss."</p><p>An awkward little laugh floated out of Winter's throat. "Maybe it should bother me more to mention them when we're lying here, wet and wild as we are. But it doesn't." She glanced over to Ruby out of the corner of her eye. "Does it bother you? Not Weiss, obviously, but mentioning Yang in that context."</p><p>She shrugged her shoulders. Yet again she thought back to the truth and dare games they'd all played together, and the various confessions in them. "Not really," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, obviously I don't want to sit and imagine what she looks like when Weiss uses a strap-on on her like she told us she does, but it's nice to know that she's getting what she wants, I guess?"</p><p>A light blush hit Winter's cheeks as Ruby described the scene. "W-well, that's… yes." Clearing her throat, she adjusted her position up against Ruby and settled in more. "Guess pegging runs in the family. I've done it a few times. Wouldn't mind doing it to Yang, either, if it wouldn't make things awkward."</p><p>Seemed Winter was more bothered about that mental image than Ruby was. But for a different reason. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you had the hots for my sister."</p><p>"Couldn't I say the same thing?" But it wasn't said cruelly, more as an afterthought. "There is something about yours I can't put my finger on. Or in. But I'm sure you don't particularly want to talk about this."</p><p>"You're curious of what it's like sleeping with a chick with a dick. I get it." It was as if Ruby had said it a million and one times before. Then again, she probably had. After all, she would have had to offer some sort of explanation to her schoolmates when she suddenly had a sister instead of a brother. And one or two of those friends had brought up that aspect.</p><p>But realising it may have been mentioned too harshly toward Winter, she shrugged her shoulders, looking downward. "Sorry, that came out like an accusation. I just… I get pretty defensive over her. She can be an easy target for some creeps."</p><p>However, Winter didn't sound chagrined or irritated in the slightest. Her voice was perfectly calm and even. "Oh no, you're right. To be entirely honest with you… she was the first woman I ever allowed myself to entertain any sexual thoughts about. Probably because of that aspect. Of course, NOW I realize that's bad, turning her into a fetish in my mind, but I've moved beyond that in the years since then."</p><p>The feelings Winter seemed to feel were ones that were mirrored within Ruby. Not for the same person, or for the same amount of time, but it was very similar to her own attractions she had towards Weiss in the beginning. In fact, truth be told, if Weiss ever gave her the chance of one wild night, or even just a kiss, she would leap at it without question. Although she might be her sister-in-law to be, Ruby still viewed Weiss as one of her favourite people to listen to, even to look at. And when she thought of it that way, it was no different to what Winter was turning Yang into in her mind.</p><p>"I'm glad." She attempted to distract herself by talking. "Glad you um, evolved or whatever."</p><p>"Yes, that's been a long-term project," Winter laughed easily, snuggling up to her anew. "I went from loathing and mistrusting her completely, to fantasizing about her, to… well, okay, I do still fantasize, but a lot less. And it takes a back seat to loving her as part of my family. Is… does that make sense? Am I a terrible person for feeling that way?"</p><p>"No! No I… I totally get it." And she did. Thankfully now she didn't feel as bad about the odd intrusive thought she had about Weiss. The odd fantasy, the odd dream. She didn't care for her any less as a friend or as family, so what harm could it really do? Finally, she felt brave enough to snuggle back against her movements. "Hey, Winter?"</p><p>"Yes?" the woman whispered back, moving her hand down to Ruby's side as she began to smooth up and down along it, affectionate but gentle.</p><p>Shuffling back and forth a moment longer, she eventually gave in, confessing, "This suit is pretty itchy…"</p><p>Winter didn't respond or move for a moment. Then she let her hand slide around to her back, rubbing up and down. "Want me to take it off?"</p><p>Ruby shrugged again. She didn't want to disappoint her master, but the material was just so unpleasant! "Unless there's anything else you wanted to do? I can bear with it longer, if you want?"</p><p>"Oh, there is. Several things. But we can take it off if it's really irritating you." Her lips pursed. "Perhaps I can have it cleaned, soften up the material…"</p><p>"No no, I'll deal for now!" Ruby insisted. She was far more interested in pleasing her master than she was in taking it off. "It can be a reward for after, right?"</p><p>The smile was soft and bemused. "Yes, I suppose it can. Alright, very well; up on your 'paws' again."</p><p>She began to edge away slightly, to enable her to do so. Rolling back onto her front, Lady did as commanded. She returned to her dog like sitting position on her hands and knees, letting her tongue hang from her mouth as she faked panting again.</p><p>"Good girl," Winter cooed as she began to stroke up and down the back of Ruby's thigh. It would convey a certain intent… but she had not proceeded any further than that as of yet. She was still waiting to watch her young charge's reaction.</p><p>For the moment, Ruby only continued to pant and sit still. Winter's hand wasn't going anywhere particularly bad, just fussing over her. Perhaps that was all she wanted to do for the rest of the evening, fuss over her pet. But there was still a worry. In the back of her mind, she was still terrified that Winter would try and return the favour. She wasn't ready for that, not yet. Her only hope was to wait and see what Winter wanted.</p><p>"Does Lady wish me to… scratch her itches?" Winter breathed as the hand drifted higher with each pass. It never quite hit home, but began to come a lot closer to the mark.</p><p>The closer it got, the slower Ruby's panting was starting to get. <em>Okay, don't panic, Ruby,</em> she told herself, holding still as Winter stroked higher and higher. <em>It doesn't happen every time, it might not happen here! Just let things keep going, it'll be fine.</em></p><p>"Oh… goodness, she seems to." The hand had drifted closer still - not close enough to touch her lips yet. However, a drip of Ruby's essence came away on her hand. Withdrawing it entirely, she raised to her lips and let her tongue loll out, exactly where Ruby could watch her take the tiny droplet into her mouth. "Mmm…"</p><p><em>Oh no. She can't put her mouth there!</em> Ruby could only bite her lip as her nerves began to ramp up. Even if she had constantly reassured herself it would be okay, she continued to worry. If Winter really insisted on taking her, insisted on <em>tasting</em> her, she would be done for. Once Winter's hand finally hit home, she flinched away rather quickly, shutting her eyes tightly.</p><p><em>"Wait!"</em> For a moment, Ruby panted quickly, trying to calm herself. She edged herself away from the hand again, looking back at it nervously. The very woman that had cuddled her in a warm embrace was now someone she feared the touch of. What was wrong with her? "I-I'm sorry. I-I just… I'm worried about.. I-I…"</p><p>"What are you worried about?" Winter wasn't moving, wasn't backing down. But she also wasn't advancing again. Her hands were pushing down into the mattress, far and away from where one of them had been teasing moments before.</p><p>Biting her lip again, Ruby looked downward at the mattress. She wasn't able to make eye contact with her anymore, only able to look down in shame. This wasn't how she wanted to spend the evening, not when it had been so fun already. But she couldn't just leave Winter with no answer either! Finally taking a deep breath in to try and calm herself, she spoke slowly.</p><p>"P-promise you won't freak out if I tell you?"</p><p>Tentatively, she placed a hand on Ruby's ankle. It was distant enough that she hoped it would be of comfort rather than unpleasant for her. "I promise."</p><p>Weighing the options in her head, Ruby continued to stare at the bed a little longer. Their entire experience together was a private affair, that was established before it began. And she had promised to keep calm no matter what it was. With another deep breath in, she finally looked up again.</p><p>"It's really embarrassing," she began, hunching her shoulders. "But when I finish? Something happens. Something… <em>not very nice</em> happens."</p><p>"Oh?" Unable to help but chuckle gently, she whispered, "It's happened to me, too. I mean… all those muscles down there relax, and sometimes you can't help it. But it's nothing to be ashamed of; everyone does it at some point or another, don't they?"</p><p>"Huh?" Ruby could only look on in confusion. It seemed that either Winter had thought of something else entirely, or Winter really had experienced the same thing. Still red with embarrassment, she went on, "But, Penny's never done it! It's only been me, but I feel so bad! Like when it's just me on my own I don't care, b-but when it's on someone else…"</p><p>"Of course! No one wants to be heard doing that in the company of others. But with all that gasping for air, it's bound to force some out… in other areas. Honestly, it's nothing to wind yourself up over, Ruby."</p><p>"Force- wait…" Ruby's eyebrow raised in confusion. Looking up at Winter again, she asked quietly. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>That brought her up quick. "I'm… talking about… well, <em>breaking wind</em> during sex. What are you talking about?"</p><p>"Ooohh…" While that was embarrassing enough to think about, it wasn't as embarrassing as Ruby was about to confess. "I-I was talking… a-about, um… something else."</p><p>"You were? I thought for sure you…" Waving her hand back and forth, she sighed, "Nevermind. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. What did you mean?"</p><p>"Okay. Most times when I finish… by myself, or with Penny, I-I…" Taking a few more deep breaths in, she couldn't look at Winter again, staring downward at the mattress and speaking so quietly Winter could barely hear. "I-I kind of… <em>pee</em> a little."</p><p>That sent both of her eyebrows arching upward. "Ah. Is that all?"</p><p>"What do you mean 'is that all'?!" Ruby quickly looked up toward her. By how red her face was and how quick her breathing had become, she had clearly been worried about this for a long time. "I know I couldn't go in front of you, but that doesn't mean I want to do it on accident, either! It's disgusting, humiliating! A-and I don't… I don't want to put you through that grossness!"</p><p>But Winter did not seem riled by Ruby's outburst. In fact, her composure remained at nearly the same level as she said, "You say this as if I haven't been peed on by a partner before. Or vice versa."</p><p>"Yeah, well I don't want to be that girl who- wait…" Had she caught that correctly? Looking back around to Winter, who still seemed perfectly unperturbed about her confession, she gasped, "For SERIOUS? You mean <em>peeing </em>is a thing?!"</p><p>One of Winter's silk-clad shoulders rose and fell, entirely nonchalant. "If it's onto another person, it's typically called a 'golden shower'. That's definitely not my thing; I don't mind it, but I've never had any strong desire to have it done to me, and I don't care about doing it to someone else, either. However…" Clearing her throat, she looked away from Ruby briefly. "Being <em>commanded</em> to do it in front of someone… it is thrilling somehow. I don't know why."</p><p>"I… Oh." She had gathered that Winter had done some very intense things from the amount of toys she had, and how her room was more or less built for these types of ventures. But the idea of someone experiencing pleasure from <em>that</em> was completely alien to her. "It's just… I hate doing it, but I can't control it! And I don't wanna squirt on people!"</p><p>Silence fell between them for a few seconds as her master mulled that over. Ruby really did seem to have herself a huge stumbling block; not one that couldn't be dealt with, but one that she had built up in her mind as something insurmountable. Something that made her a completely unacceptable bedroom partner. This might not be a thing they could fix overnight, but she could try to make headway.</p><p>Crawling upward, Winter wrapped her arms around Ruby from behind, nuzzling into her neck and kissing each stretch of skin with great care and desire. With as much gusto as if she were ready to be pleasured again. Once the hands looped around her, and she felt the kisses on her skin over and over again, Ruby gasped in surprise. Winter didn't… mind? It seemed not, from how the kisses continued over and over, leaving no part of her untreated. It was enough to bring a tear to Ruby's eye. She still wanted her, even despite her embarrassing confession, Winter still had a desire to please her and return the favour. And now, she was more inclined to accept.</p><p>Though Winter would take it a step further. As her lips lifted up toward Ruby's ear, she began to whisper earnest phrases in the most sultry of voices - and the woman was capable of quite a sultry one indeed.</p><p>"I want to feel you. I want to hear you calling out in pleasure. Your body to writhe under mine, your mind breaking from how good you feel." The tongue ran up the skin, only just. "And if you do leak a little by accident… if it happens, it happens. From a body as glorious as yours, I don't mind in the slightest. Christen me with your juices; I should be so lucky."</p><p>All Ruby could do was continue to gasp, leaning her head in all manner of directions to give Winter all the access she needed. Those lips just kept pressing against her body, over and over again, sending more and more tingles up her spine. She may still have been worried, but with Winter's reassurance, she could get past that.</p><p>And so turning her head, she managed to catch Winter's lips for herself, kissing her back hungrily. One shaky breath later and Winter was returning the contact, winding her fingers into her lover's hair and biting her bottom lip as they began to writhe up against each other again, slowly spinning Ruby just enough so that they could comfortably enjoy each other's mouths. As they did so, she allowed her hand to rest against the plane of her stomach - lying in wait. Needing only the green light to proceed downward.</p><p>There came no resistance. Ruby only continued to eagerly kiss back, embracing Winter closer toward her as she allowed her tongue to trace over hers on occasion. She was eager for Winter to keep going now.</p><p>That desire was seen to quite soon as the fingers probed downward, between the seams of the costume and into the fragile petals below. Winter's kiss became hungrier, more frenzied, as if hoping it would prove a distraction from what was going on below.</p><p>It was working. While continuing to lap at Winter's tongue with her own, Ruby was content with what was happening. In fact, she was encouraging it, parting her legs even further to give Winter more room to work with. At last, Winter broke away from the supple mouth - but it appeared she had a concentrated purpose in doing so. Perhaps it was part of their play, or perhaps it came from an earnest desire to calm her temporary partner. Likely a mixture of both.</p><p>"How sweet your body is," she whispered as her finger glided up and down the length of the folds. "So perfect and inviting. As wet as it should be, as I want it to be. What a good girl you are, Lady."</p><p>That last made it clear; they were still playing. Anything that happened was just part of their arrangement, and nothing for Ruby to fret over. Sighing softly with relief, Ruby had began to continually push her hips up against Winter's hand. Going back to a game for this occasion put her at ease. Although she had appreciated Winter's confidence building, that was something she still worried about: developing romantic feelings for another.</p><p>But now she felt silly. Winter was just a good friend, and they both needed to relieve each other's urges. At least, that's how Ruby saw it.</p><p>"She's such a good girl," Winter soothed her further as she added more fingers, pushing the middle one in between the moistened lips as the ones on either side teased them. "Knows who her master is, and that she'll take care of Lady. Yes she does." The tone of her words was halfway between "sexy talk" and "baby talk"; it was both odd and arousing at the same time.</p><p>Ruby moaned, relaxing more as Winter continued to tease and taunt her skin. With her skill, it was no wonder she was already beginning to feel her stomach tighten, and her legs beginning to shudder. She was close already, and Winter hadn't even gone inside! A simple consequence of her finishing Winter first: she was far more eager.</p><p>For a few seconds, Winter merely kept going, teasing up and down, worrying the flesh. Then she panted, "If I already asked this, I'm sorry, but… have you…" Her finger dipped in further, hoping to indicate what she was asking without verbalizing it directly. It wasn't a fun thing to bring up right in the middle of their play, but it would be very important if the answer was "no".</p><p>Biting her lip, Ruby opened her eyes again just to look at what Winter was doing. Was <em>penetration</em> what she was asking about? Leaning to give a small kiss to Winter's cheek, she reassured her, "I have a couple of times. Solo and all."</p><p>"Okay... okay, then." And Winter wasted no more time. They had spent so much time teasing each other that Ruby had to be dying to finish by now. Angling herself just so, she leapt straight from nothing to two fingers sliding through Ruby's defenses - not too fast, not too slow. A steady but unrelenting pace.</p><p>"OHHHH!" she called out yet again. One of her hands quickly went to grasp Winter's, using it in a vain attempt to try and tether herself. But no success. Those fingers were relentless, making her body quiver more and more as her muscles tightened. "WHOA! Yeah! Holy SHIZ, keep going! K-Keep… WINTER!"</p><p>"Yes, call my name!" Winter urged her, waggling the fingers back and forth once they were all the way inside. "Let loose - make as much noise as you like! Nobody will ever hear it outside these reinforced walls!"</p><p>For the next dozen seconds or so, Ruby panted and squirmed before shouting, "YES! Y-<em>YEEEAAAAH!"</em></p><p>And that was about all it took before she reached her end. Anticipation and foreplay had done ninety percent of the work. Legs shuddering even more right by her hand, she felt her muscles tightening through the waves of pleasure sent around her body. Over and over again, her muscles clamped onto those fingers, trying to keep them for all they were worth.</p><p>However… they still had to contend with Ruby’s issue. Through the muscle spasms, there was a small amount of fluid released against Winter's hand. It was only tiny spurts of clear liquid, but that seemed to be what Ruby described.</p><p>"Ohhh," Winter breathed. It was her only true reaction to the spurting of fluid, but it was a reaction all the same. Her fingers curled up and into her a few more times, then stilled, waiting to see what Ruby would do, or ask.</p><p>A few spasms of her body later, and Ruby flopped back against the bed. Completely exhausted from their efforts. She had to regain her breath before she did anything else, before she cuddled Winter, before she got out of the-</p><p><em>The suit.</em> Quickly looking downward to where Winter's hand was, she could already see Winter's hand glistening with liquid, and feel that the fur around her crotch was damp. Covering her face with embarrassment, she whined, "I did it again…"</p><p>"You did. Naughty, naughty puppy." But what Winter did next was the direct opposite of scolding or being angry. Her hand came up, covered as it was in both internal juices and the ones that she had shot forth upon her climax. Then she took a long, gratuitous lick from the heel of her palm to the tip of her middle finger.</p><p>By the time Ruby had ran her paw-hands down her face enough to see, she caught sight of Winter nearing the end of her lick. And right away gasped. "D-don't!" she insisted, blush returning to her cheeks once again in shame. "You don't want to taste <em>that!</em> It's nasty!"</p><p>"Hmmm…" Winter smacked her lips a few times. Having caught Ruby's expression, she decided to have a bit more fun with her and licked the palm again, sure to get the wettest areas. "It has a nice tart flavor to it; lovely bouquet. Delightful."</p><p>Poor Ruby could barely stand to watch! Surely Winter couldn't experience pleasure from doing anything as disgusting as that? "You don't have to do that for me." she insisted. "You could have just run to the bathroom, I'd never ask you to do <em>that </em>with my p-pee!"</p><p>But Winter was chuckling quietly, and it grew louder the longer Ruby spoke. "Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't. It's irrelevant, anyway." Grasping one of her wrists with her clean hand, she pulled it away from her face as gently as she could. "You didn't pee at all, silly girl."</p><p>"I-I didn't? Huh?" Once again she looked to Winter's wet hand, and then down at the costume again. The evidence was all there still, she didn't dream it. "B-but… I felt it. It's still on me now. I-I <em>know</em> I did…"</p><p>"You did squirt on me, yes, but… what you squirted isn't urine, Ruby." She was going to have to be patient. Caressing her hair as she went on, she asked, "Haven't you ever heard of 'female ejaculation' before?"</p><p>That did very little to ease Ruby's confusion. Her hands had lowered from her face, but she still appeared as though someone was explaining rocket science to her. "Sure, I've heard of it, but…" Then she shrugged her shoulders, looking down in embarrassment. "I thought that meant girls like Yang… Y'know."</p><p>Winter canted her head from side to side as she considered. "Well… I suppose that's technically what Yang's doing, but not what the term usually means. Some women, when they climax, produce a little fluid this way; it's partly from the bladder and partly from tiny glands inside of you. They're a lot like the glands that help produce male ejaculate; the watery part of it, anyway."</p><p>"…Hold on." Blinking a few times as she allowed the new information to sink in, her eyes seemed to dart from side to side for a moment, until back up to Winter's again. There seemed to be an odd mixture of both relief and embarrassment. "You mean all this time, I've been <em>cumming,</em><span> not</span> peeing? That I can skeet-skeet like a guy can?"</p><p>"Not <em>exactly</em> the same, but it's similar. The reason your body does it is the same, and the fluid isn't too far off." Leaning down, she kissed Ruby's flaming-red cheek just to show her she was right there with her, entirely supportive and not even the slightest bit put off. "Now, this fluid still goes through your bladder, so it's coming from the same place as pee. But saying it's pee isn't very accurate. Do… you understand, or am I just babbling at you?"</p><p>"I… think I get it." It was still new information to Ruby. But one thing that had been sinking in was a fact that made her feel better about herself. It wasn't as filthy as she thought it was. Though beyond her control, it was something Ruby didn't need to panic about getting on the clothes Winter provided - or her hands, for that matter. Wiping her forehead in the end, she smiled. "That's… a relief, actually. Because I kinda got it on the suit."</p><p>Snuggling yet closer, Winter kissed her forehead, then her cheek again. "I'm glad. But even if it had been pure urine, I promise you - promise, promise - that it would have been fine by me. They’re just clothes and clothes can be cleaned. And you shouldn't be embarrassed; it's not exactly common, but plenty of women ejaculate."</p><p>"Okay. That's good then… cause otherwise, I would have been worried about seeing a doctor. No one wants to hear about <em>that </em>kind of problem…" Although she had been about to huddle up to Winter again, she looked down at the outfit again. And could already remember how it was feeling. Looking up bashfully, she asked, "C-can I, uh…?"</p><p>"Come with me," Winter chuckled as she began to rise from the bed. "Oh, and grab your regular clothing on the way."</p><p>Nodding, Ruby did as she was told. Hopping up and off one side of the bed, she quickly managed to gather up the clothes she had scattered over the floor, only just managing to get them over her arms with the clunky paw-gloves. But once that was done she followed again, still like a lost puppy.</p><p>Once in the bathroom, Winter turned to shut the door - and laughed when she saw Ruby's awkward grip on her things. "Put those on the counter for a moment and I'll get those paws. Sorry, I… actually forgot you don't normally have paws for a moment, Lady."</p><p>"Arf." She spoke the word this time rather than attempted it seriously as she finally put her clothing aside. While she held her hand out for Winter to do as she pleased, she took a good look around the surroundings of the bathroom. A large counter with the sink not even taking up a third of it, a large Jacuzzi and a toilet that looked fancier than any Ruby had ever seen. Giggling to herself, she smirked. "Even your bathroom is worth more than my house, probably."</p><p>"It's just a bathroom," Winter commented casually as she removed the second paw, then bent down and worked on the kneepads. Taking everything off was a lot quicker than putting it on in the first place. "But… well, my father insists on the best of the best." While down there, she left a light kiss on the inside of Ruby's thigh.</p><p>It was enough to send another shudder through her body. But now that her hands were free, they went straight to the zipper at the front. Cleverly hidden in the middle of the fur, she managed to find the pull and slowly tug it downwards, and eventually wriggle her shoulders out of the costume entirely. And she continued until it was off all the way.</p><p>But somehow, being naked in front of Winter didn't phase her at all anymore. In fact, she continued to talk as normal. "Best of the best is really fancy stuff, though! Like, I could live in here, it's big enough."</p><p>"You want to live in my bathroom?" Winter laughed aloud, standing back up once Ruby was revealed entirely. "You really are a puppy." Her eyes raked down Ruby's figure, both appraising and already pleased before the appraisal had been completed. "You really are lovely, you know. Don't let anyone tell you any different."</p><p>She had been about to grab her underwear when that was spoken, and she grinned to herself again, shrugging her shoulders bashfully. "I'm glad you think so, considering you're the one that suggested this whole arrangement. And then <em>peed</em><span> on you – or ejaculated or whatever.</span>"</p><p>"Suppose that's true." Winter bit her lip as she thought something over, eyes directed at the moisture still glistening on Ruby's thighs. Reaching a decision, she left the girl standing there to walk over toward the toilet. As she sat, she slid her underwear down to below her knees, letting them fall to the floor. Then her hand patted her thigh as she commanded, "Come here for a moment."</p><p>"Hmm- GAH!" When she looked back to where Winter was sat, and the fact she was sat down with her underwear to the ground, Ruby's first instinct was to cover her eyes, and so she did. "I'm sorry! Do you want me to leave the room?"</p><p>"No, I want you to come here," Winter repeated, suppressing a laugh. She knew this was not Ruby's area of comfort and was more than willing to be patient with her. "Have a seat, just for a minute."</p><p>"…While you're on the toilet?" Ruby repeated, allowing her hand to fall. When only a nod came from Winter she slowly walked forward, giving into her command as she went to sit on her lap. "Okay…?"</p><p>Nodding in satisfaction, Winter looped her hands around Ruby's waist to help hold her steady. "Good. Now, I want to ask you a couple of questions, nothing bad."</p><p>Still perpetually confused, Ruby's cheeks reddened as she made herself comfortable. "Okay? What is it?"</p><p>"Was there anything we did tonight you really liked? As in, stood out to you that you'd want to do again."</p><p>For a moment, Ruby had to really think about that question. There was the kissing for one, that had been interesting and a relief to get out of her system. Then there was the cuddling, and interestingly… "The commands were good." She smiled. "Even if I didn't stay in character very good, I did like that. It reminded me of a teacher I had back in school, this real strict one I had a <em>huge</em><span> crush on</span>."</p><p>A knowing smile flitted across Winter's lips as she waggled both eyebrows. "Ah yes, you did mention that fantasy… but not that it had roots in reality. Interesting. You'll have to tell me more about her sometime so we can do something with that."</p><p>"Sounds good to me!" Ruby grinned eagerly. But yet again when remembering where they were, where they were sat, she asked, "Winter… What are we doing here exactly?"</p><p>"We'll get to that. Now, tell me if there's anything that didn't work for you. Not just in general, but specifics. This is important for both me, and for you for when you're with other Doms."</p><p>"Well…" That was more difficult to think about. The evening had gone well; very well even. Ruby didn't even have to use her safe word that they had set into place, which she expected to be using from the beginning. But there were a few things. "Ironic considering where we're sitting, but being told to go to the bathroom, that's a no. I don't do well with any of those bodily functions." Then she added in an embarrassed mutter, "Hence the freaking out when I thought it was pee."</p><p>"Well…" Finally, Winter shivered slightly, and there began a faint tinkling sound into the toilet. Her cheeks flushed when she caught Ruby gaping at her. "Seems I have my own hang-ups. Because I've been trying to get started ever since you sat down. I meant to show you how it's not such a big deal, and ended up showing you the opposite. Pretty silly, huh?"</p><p>"You're actually-?!" And Ruby had to continue to sit, cheeks flushing red as she looked off to one side of the room instead. All the while, she remained perfectly still, not daring to move. "I can't believe you did that," she began. "Or are <em>doing </em>that, even. Isn't it really icky to you?"</p><p>"No, it isn't. People do it all the time. Besides, it's sterile, you know; it's not as if there are germs in there or anything." The stream was going a little stronger now that she had pushed through that initial barrier of shyness, having another person in the room and so close. "I'm not trying to make you 'like' it, of course, just… it seems like you're almost… <em>afraid</em> of the act. And that won't do, not if I can help you get past that."</p><p>"Afraid of it in the bedroom, yeah," she admitted. Having to continue to bear with the sounds, she hunched her shoulders again, face a clear picture of embarrassment. "Look, I know you're trying to help but, I just prefer to keep pee private, you know? I was only scared because I thought I was gonna be doing that on everyone, and that's gross."</p><p>"Definitely understandable," Winter chuckled. About that time she finished, and she smiled up at Ruby. "Done. And you lived to tell the tale. Just… food for thought, I guess. I'm sorry if I upset you."</p><p>"No no, I totally get you, just…" Getting up to finally collect her clothes again, her shoulders remained raised, even as she reached for her panties. "Don't expect me to be whizzing everywhere on command is all. <em>Definitely</em><span> not right away</span>."</p><p>"Wait, wait," she laughed, standing up and catching Ruby's wrists. "That isn't the only reason I asked you in here, believe it or not. Wouldn't you rather have a quick shower first?"</p><p>Freezing when her underwear was half way up, she looked over to the shower unit. Just as fancy as the rest of the bathroom, with plenty of different buttons for different functions. And she <em>was</em><span> a little damp down below. With</span> that in mind, she pushed her underwear back down again, smiling gratefully. "Sure! That’s probably a good idea, yeah."</p><p>"I can leave you to it if you'd rather be rid of me now," Winter told her. It hadn't been apparent at first, but now it was much clearer that she was chagrined by Ruby's disapproval of doing her business in her presence. It was one of the few times she'd ever seen Winter not look like the elder, the one in control. She was nervous and uncertain.</p><p>So Ruby paused for a moment. Rather than say anything else, she wanted to show Winter that all was well between them. She wanted to show that she appreciated that Winter did want to help, even if it wasn't a thing Ruby would be enjoying any time soon. And to do that, she grabbed her wrist instead, pulling her toward the shower.</p><p>"C’mon, shower buddy! I need you to teach me how to use all this new-fangled junk, anyway."</p><p>The anxiety faded as she smiled gently, shifting her shoulders so that her kimono finally began to slide free. Pointedly ignoring the way Ruby ogled her revealed form. <em>"That,</em> I can do."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Really getting into it now! These two have a long journey ahead of them... are you going to be there for the ride?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: roleplay, bondage, blindfolds, tickling, feet, undressing, shibari, dildo, first time, female ejaculation.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 3</b>
</p><p>Little had seemed to change in the week following Ruby’s first encounter with Winter. She was still living with her dad, still trying to steal little Fènleng at every opportunity when she visited Yang and Weiss, and still searching for her own place.</p><p>Rather than return to the other side the country, Penny had opted to live with Ruby and Taiyang while they searched for jobs and apartments in Nashville, now that they had their degrees from university. As content with the arrangement the three of them were, there were many times when Taiyang would prove rather overbearing, often knocking on the door to check things were okay and ask if they wanted drinks, even when they had requested him not to.</p><p>Ruby had taken to her laptop once more, looking through various housing websites; just as she did every evening. "Hey, this apartment has two bedrooms, that looks nice!"</p><p>"I do not think we need two bedrooms," Penny mused as she sorted through the stack of job applications. They had sent resumes to several places online, but it didn't hurt to consider some minimum wage possibilities to tide them over financially. "Although, it might be nice to use the second one as an office, or a guest room…"</p><p>"Or when Fenny's a little older so she can sleep over, or we can get a green iguana and it could be its room, or we could just-" But the silence from Penny spoke volumes. Eventually Ruby stopped talking, looking back to the screen. "Rambling, sorry. But I'll keep looking!"</p><p>"You're fine, Ruby." It a simple statement, designed to let Ruby know that she had no problem with her rambling and no more. Then her curiosity got the better of her. "Why a green iguana?"</p><p>"Well, have you seen them? I think they'd be so much more interesting than a cat. Not that cats aren't cool, though!" Looking through more of the site's choices, her face seemed to light up yet again at another choice. "Hey, this one here looks really good! And it's in the middle of the city close to the-"</p><p>But right away, Ruby stopped. She had been about to admit it was close to The Clamp, the club which Blake had first taken her to when she was exploring. But at last minute, she remembered Penny didn't want to hear about such things. “Theeeee ice cream bar I like… yeah…"</p><p>Ruby's strange tone of voice did draw Penny's gaze up, but she hadn't quite caught on what she was trying to avoid mentioning. "There's an ice cream bar you like in midtown? Excellent. You'll have to take me there sometime."</p><p>"Huh? O-Oh… Yeah! Sure! Great." Now that had gotten her into a sticky situation. She'd need to <em>find </em>an ice cream bar in the middle of town now. There was certainly no way she could take Penny anywhere near The Clamp. Eventually she turned her chair to face her, leaving her house hunting for later. "How's your job search going?"</p><p>"Not great," she sighed, glancing between her own laptop and the papers. "But I have completed a few of these applications. Maybe an exciting beginning in the Walmart industry will be in my future."</p><p>"Well, anything is something! I have my savings for a deposit for a place, so we're not in too much trouble if we can't find anything." As always, Ruby was optimistic. She moved over to sit next to Penny on the bed and rested her head against her shoulder. It was a habit of Ruby's, leaning over to watch her as she browsed online.</p><p>The arm not occupied with the touchpad reached around to squeeze Ruby closer. She didn't even have to concentrate on doing it, so often did this habit come up. "What do you think about me trying to sell people phones?"</p><p>"Like at a kiosk or whatever?" she asked, looking to the job application she had open. A typical highstreet phone store needing another representative. "Sure! I think it'd pay better then Walmart, plus you get to be the one to tell people what's what."</p><p>"Indeed! I am satisfied with our current phone plan, but if they offer an employee discount… who knows?" Just then, she heard the telltale jingle of Ruby's default ringtone. That meant it wasn't Yang or Weiss, and obviously not Penny. "Oh, that's funny; we're talking about phones, and yours is ringing! How coincidental."</p><p>"Oop, so it is!" Pulling it from her pocket to check who it was, Ruby's face froze a moment. In plain view of Penny, the contact name was 'Winter'. "Oh… One sec."</p><p>“Sure,” Penny said in a casual tone. Though her eyes were wide, curious about Ruby’s behaviour.</p><p>Untangling herself from Penny's side, she stood again, pacing back toward her chair so she was a small distance from her girlfriend. Mainly for her benefit, and so she couldn't hear Winter should she start dirty talking straightaway. "Hello?"</p><p>"What are you wearing?" came the tinny voice, sultry and husky.</p><p>Yep, there it was. All that was missing was some cheesy saxophone music in the background and she could have been a late-night commercial for phone sex operators. Ruby's face lit a bright red, eyes as big as dinner plates as she looked back toward Penny for a split second, and then toward the ground as she talked in a hushed tone.</p><p>"You can't ask that right outta the gate! What if I was in public?!"</p><p>But Winter was already laughing. "You didn't actually have to answer, I was kidding. I'm sorry."</p><p>"Well, I would have answered anyway, but I’m not exactly <em>alone</em>." Glancing back at Penny for a moment, she gave a small grin to try and apologise, before looking away. "Penny and I were looking at apartments."</p><p>"Ahh." The voice sounded apologetic. "She… does know about our arrangement, doesn't she? I think you told me she does, but I want to make sure. I can be more discreet about contacting you if you need me to."</p><p>"No, she does! We just haven’t talked about the nitty gritty details, but she knows it's a thing. In fact…" Covering the phone for a moment, she looked toward Penny instead to ask. "Are you okay with me taking this in here? Or do you want me to leave the room?"</p><p>Though Penny did look vaguely uncomfortable, she smiled and said, "It's fine. We're all adults here." She hesitated, then added, "Tell Winter I say 'hello'."</p><p>"I'll make it up to you when we're done." Ruby assured with a warm smile, before turning back the other way to talk back to Winter again. "Yeah she's fine. She says hi, by the way!"</p><p>"And the same back to her," Winter chuckled. "I suppose I did call out of the blue so I should get to the point. I was wondering if you'd be available for a session tomorrow evening. Say, around six?"</p><p>"Tomorrow? I don't think I have anything planned. Lemme just double check," Yet again she covered the phone, and looked right back at Penny. "We have nothing going on tomorrow evening, right? I don't think your dads are here ‘til next week, are they?"</p><p>"Nope," Penny said easily. "You can set up an… <em>appointment </em>for tomorrow. I don't mind." Her smile was still a little awkward, but she wasn’t at all outraged or overly disgusted.</p><p>"Alrighty." Back to the phone again, she smiled. "Sure, I'm free! Guessing you managed to get rid of your roomie for a bit?"</p><p>"Indeed. In fact… I felt a bit regretful that you had to leave so late last time that I've arranged for my 'roomie' not to come back until late the next day. This way, you can sleep here if you're too exhausted to move afterward. And if it's alright with Penny, of course."</p><p>The implication was clear; Winter intended to really put Ruby through her paces in one way or another. And that idea was making Ruby blush yet again. Last time already seemed crazy to her! She didn't even know she was ready for more just yet. Swallowing, she nodded. "Cool, sounds good. You didn't have to go through all that trouble though, I don't mind."</p><p>"Too late," she told her carelessly. "But honestly, it's fine. So, can I expect you at six? That will give us time to stop and have a drink beforehand again. That seemed to help you de-stress a bit."</p><p>"Yeah, six sounds great. I'll ask about sleeping over as well, but it should be fine. I'll see you then!"</p><p>And with that, she hung up the call, tucking her phone away in her pocket, before she looked over toward Penny again. Despite her being alright with their arrangement, clearly stating she had no problems, Ruby still felt guilty about leaving her. She needed that reassurance.</p><p>"Are you definitely okay with this?"</p><p>Penny didn't look quite as easy-going as she did a moment before. "Well… alright. I suppose there isn't any harm, but I'm going to miss you while you're over there."</p><p>"I can stay." Immediately, she took her seat back next to her again, wrapping her arms around her and cuddling closely. "Or come back after, whatever you want. I mean it, if you want me to stop then you're totally okay in asking me to."</p><p>"I don't. I want you to enjoy sex. Since I do not, it's only logical for you to find somebody who can fill that need." After a breath, she added quite calmly, "Sleeping over there… isn't the same, but it also makes sense from a practical standpoint. You're already there, and doing something that's very… physically demanding. Even getting dressed and hailing a cab would be inconvenient, nevermind driving yourself home."</p><p>"There's a little drinking involved so I won't be driving." As if that would somehow make things better. But Ruby only continued to cuddle into her side, delivering a kiss to her cheek before she nuzzled against her neck. "But for real, if you don't want me sleeping there, I won't. I'll Uber it back home to snuggle with you. Because I'd rather you be happy than me have convenience."</p><p>"Honestly, it's fine. It's just less of a 'sex only' arrangement, that's all." She turned her sparkling green eyes on Ruby for a moment, gaze level and unflinching. "But I would appreciate you letting me know if things become romantic between you and Winter. Not that it will mean our relationship ends automatically; I can share you. But I won't share you without being aware of it."</p><p>"I don't want you to share me," Ruby insisted, looking back into the dazzling eyes of her loved one with honesty as she took her hand in her own, running her thumb over the top of it. <em>"You're</em> the one I want to spend my life with, not Winter. I promise that."</p><p>That brought an easy smile to Penny's face, and she leaned over to kiss her lips with great relish. "Not that I was worried about you leaving me, Ruby. I think we know each other well enough by now."</p><p>Then, uncharacteristically for the libido-less girl, she allowed herself something like a lewd smile. On anyone else, it would have just looked mischievous, but for Penny, she was practically winking and nudging Ruby in the ribs.</p><p>"Have fun with your playdate tomorrow, okay?"</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Ruby gave a warm smile back as she squeezed Penny once more. "I will, I'm sure. But for tonight…" She drew herself away, holding the top of Penny's laptop screen for a moment as though she were about to close it. "How about we go to bed early and snuggle up with a few episodes of Doctor Who?"</p><p>The smile turned joyful, and she placed her own hand on the side to help swing the laptop shut. "That sounds excellent! I think I've done all I can here, anyway. Shall we order a pizza?"</p><p>"You read my mind! Nothing to stop us having a really quiet, relaxing evening to ourselves."</p><p>At least, that was what Ruby thought. Until there was a knock at the door, and the voice of her father calling through, "Ruby, could you take Zwei on his evening walk? Make sure to take a bag!"</p><p>"…Nothing but picking up dog poop, I guess. Whee…"</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>This time, Winter was a lot more nervous about the things she had set up for Ruby's arrival. In most situations, she had a firm grasp of the scene they were setting up; how things would go, and what would be involved. What their roles would be. This time, she was operating with partial information, most of which had been hastily researched specifically for their evening. She had to hope for the best, and that she had not jumbled up anything in her mind.</p><p>When she heard the doorbell, she shouted, "COMING!" from the bedroom as she made sure a few last things were set up, glanced at the spare outfit hanging from the back of the door, and at the other one in the bathroom as she passed. Then she nodded to herself as she swept through the house to the front door, took a deep breath, and eased it open.</p><p>"Sorry I'm a little late!" Ruby hastily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear again. Once more, she sported the black and red skirt, only with a black tank top to go with it this time. Just the thing for the summer heat. But that didn't stop the knee high boots she always wore from making a second appearance. It was a little more casual than the first evening, a sign of Ruby's growing confidence; but still enough to show she made an effort. "The Uber driver took me the wrong way to try and charge me more, the jerk. He’s getting a frowny-face review."</p><p>"No, no, you're right on time," Winter chuckled. She herself was wearing a pencil skirt and a light blouse; a bit dressed up for their evening in, but nothing terribly fancy. "Really, if you came when we said, I'd have still been rushing around setting things up."</p><p>"Oh… Well, okay! It all worked out for the best then!" Ruby grinned, taking a few steps into the apartment so Winter could lock the door behind them both. Yet another evening with the building to themselves, thanks to Winter's mysterious roommate disappearing for the night. Strange how Ruby had never met them.</p><p>Pacing toward the sofa, she asked, "Oh, am I okay to take my boots off? They're clean, but just in case."</p><p>"Hm? Oh, please, make yourself comfortable! Do you want some help?" She gestured to the sofa, which would make a prime spot to shed the boots either way.</p><p>"Nah, I got it!" She took a seat at the sofa right away, unzipping her boots to place them one side of the table. Once more she was hearing the calming sound of the well-contained waterfall in the corner, a relaxing ambiance. "So…" Ruby began, sitting back in the chair. "Are we having a drink first again? Or going straight to it?"</p><p>"Whatever you like." She gestured toward the kitchen. "This time, I've made sure I have a few easy-to-microwave snacks on hand, if you're hungry. Much as I loved eating dinner with you last time, I… didn't want to assume you were after a longer 'date'. Especially if you wanted to get straight to it. Do you?"</p><p>"Huh… Well…" Slowly shrugging her shoulders, Ruby weighed up the options. The way she saw it, it was no different to the times back in college where her and her dorm friends would have a meal together before spending the evening playing games. Winter was a friend, nothing more, nothing less. "Snacks sound great! So we can chill."</p><p>A pleasant smile spread across her face, almost one of relief. "Good. That's… that's good. Well, I don't know how you feel about spinach-artichoke dip and pita bread, but I do have other options if that doesn't sound appetizing to you."</p><p>"Hey, I’m game!" She tried her best to sound genuine. In truth, anything to do with vegetables wasn't the most pleasing of things to Ruby. But for Winter, she would make an effort. The least she could do was try it and then have another option should she not like it. Plus, they had drinks. "Got anymore of that strawberry ale? That was really nice."</p><p>"Restocked it just for you," Winter said over her shoulder as she went into the kitchen.</p><p>As it turned out, the dip with pita bread turned out to be a rather pleasant snack. That alongside some mozzarella sticks made for a wonderful snacky meal between them, accompanied with light conversation and one or two drinks to get them feeling at ease with one another. Both had began chatting about various subjects together; work, living at home, even Zwei.</p><p>But as they got down to the last of the bread, the subject had changed to college stories. This one in particular, an embarrassing tale about how Ruby managed to walk in on one of her dorm-mates. "All I wanted to get was my DVDs back, I didn't expect to walk in on Pyrrha pinning her boyfriend against the wall! Ever since then, I made sure to knock a <em>lot</em> louder if Jaune was ever over."</p><p>"Goodness!" Winter chuckled, wiping a drip of hummus from the corner of her mouth. "Sounds like a disaster narrowly averted to me!" Sighing, she thought that over for a moment before saying, "I wish I had an experience like that. My university was here, so there was no need to live in the dorms."</p><p>"Oh it was a blast! Even if me and Penny weren't typical sex-crazed dopes, we all had good laughs. And teased each other whenever we could. Pyrrha and Jaune never lived that down, I’ll put it that way." She continued to giggle to herself, finishing off the last bite quickly once finished with the tale. But just before she took a swig of ale to wash it down, she laughed and added, "I think Jaune was more worried we were gonna tell people that he was clearly the bottom, fragile masculinity and all that."</p><p>"Oh? Interesting…" Her head tilted to one side - a bit more than it would have done without the pair of martinis she'd ingested. "Have you ever wondered how it is that… I mean, look around you. I'm your Dom, Blake and Sun go to the club, too… Qrow was there the once. You ended up having quite a few kinky people around you, even though it's not a very typical 'hobby' to have. Isn't that funny?"</p><p>Finishing up the last swig of ale, she nodded as she put the glass down. "Yeah! It's a crazy world… maybe kinky people all just gravitate towards one another without realising or something. Who knows?"</p><p>"Could very well be," she admitted as she glanced at the half-empty container of dip. "Now then. I have a little something special planned for this evening, but we don't have to get to it right away. What would you like to do next?"</p><p>"Special?" That piqued Ruby's interest. Special like the costume Winter had prepared last time? Possibly something on those lines, given the rather mischievous look on her face. Giving a small smile of her own, she crossed her legs. "What kinda <em>‘special’</em> are we talking?"</p><p>It seemed Ruby was ready to progress their evening. Waggling her empty glass back and forth a few times, Winter then set it down and stood. "If you're ready…?"</p><p>"I can be.” Standing and holding a hand out toward her, she said, "Lead the way."</p><p>Down the hallway they went to the three doors that branched off to both bedrooms and the bathroom. However, instead of opening the door to her room, Winter gestured to the loo.</p><p>"You'll find a change of clothes in there," she told her sub formally. "By the time you've changed, I will have, too - but please knock just in case."</p><p>"Alrighty; I'm meeting you in your bedroom, right?" she asked, opening the door to the bathroom and about to step inside, though she lingered around for Winter's answer. She had to double check.</p><p>"You are. See you sooooon…" The last syllable was drawn out as Winter waved at her, a twinkle in her eye. With a sly wink of her own, Ruby entered the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. For a moment, she had to giggle to herself as she stood against the door, composing herself.</p><p><em>A special surprise, huh? I wonder what it could be. </em>Looking to the towel hangers in the room, she spotted something that could be what Winter had in mind. A long, black robe hanging from one of them, hanging alongside a school uniform. When she walked over to inspect it, she found there was more to it; specifically, an emblem on one of the pockets.</p><p><em>"Hufflepuff!</em> Wait… Is this an <em>official robe?!"</em> It was. Ruby knew rather well how expensive some of the merchandise could be, but Winter had bought her an official Harry Potter robe regardless. Her house, too! She also clearly expected her to wear it for their session today, however, which lead Ruby to wonder… what could the evening possibly entail?</p><p>Doing as asked, Ruby slipped off her clothes and put on the robes. Taking a moment to neaten up her appearance in the mirror, she was satisfied and ready to go, leaping out of the bathroom with excitement. Once at Winter's door, she gave a quick knock.</p><p>"You may enter."</p><p>When Ruby did, she beheld a room completely transformed. A curtain hid the bed entirely from view, and everything else… it looked straight off the sets of the movies. Fake wood paneling covered the floor, a huge old steamer trunk sat nearby, and dark-hued tapestries and paintings did a fantastic job of hiding the normally-pristine walls. There were a couple of very authentic-looking school satchels propped against the wall, and right in the center…</p><p>"There you are," Winter said without looking up from the bubbling cauldron set in the middle of the floor. She, too, was dressed in a similar outfit, although finished off with knee-high black stockings and brown shoes. Her own colours were the blue-and-bronze of Ravenclaw, and she was, indeed, flicking a thin wand over the top of the "potion" she had brewing. "I thought your detention would be finished hours ago."</p><p>"Holy…" Ruby took a moment to look around in awe. How on earth did Winter manage to do all this on her own? And it was all for her; a fantasy from her favourite books, all hers to live out. She really was someone who went all in to impress their partners, it seemed. Quickly remembering she had a role to play, she stood upright and looked right toward Winter again rather than the look of the room. She could focus on being thunderstruck later.</p><p>"U-uh, yes! Well… Lockhart had me signing a bunch of fanmail… it took a long time, got super boring."</p><p>"Sounds as if it would be. Oh, and this owl came for you…" She handed over an envelope, one made of yellowed parchment. The address on it was her actual home address, but it was written in calligraphy.</p><p>"Oh, thanks!" Taking it from her, Ruby took a moment to inspect the beautiful handwriting. Even just the envelope was a sight to see, and they had barely started! As she gently broke the wax seal at the back, she leant forward to ask out of character before she read what was inside, "Can I keep the envelope?"</p><p>"Of course, since it <em>is </em>yours," Winter said in an impatient tone… one that seemed to be equal parts Hermione and McGonagall. The letter read:</p><p><em>Welcome to Hogwarts! Hopefully you can forgive me if I mess up something here or there, you know this is all new territory for me. But I did a fair amount of research; I </em>am <em>a professional!</em> There was a winky face there, which was such an odd thing to see in calligraphy that Ruby had to giggle. <em>Today's safeword is "Muggle." Please do not be afraid to use it, either just to tell me you prefer or don't prefer something, or because you don't want to continue this scene. Otherwise, I'm going to continue to behave as if this is all very real, and you will do the same.</em></p><p>
  <em>Have fun! -Princess</em>
</p><p><em>Muggle, huh?</em> Ruby thought to herself. <em>She really has done her research.</em> This was exciting! A real practice this time, where only that word was her safety net. Ruby was determined to make the most of this new role and play along - not to mention curious to see just how much research Winter had done.</p><p>To test, she tried a simple question: "So what's a Ravenclaw doing outside their dorm past curfew?"</p><p>The look she fixed Ruby with was withering. "You're the one that needs tutoring with potions, Rose. But if you'd prefer I go back to my own rooms…" She began to move as if to stand up.</p><p>"O-oh I… Um, yes! Guess I do," she admitted instead, wandering over to the boiling cauldron. How was Winter keeping it bubbling like that? She didn’t feel much heat. There were so many questions, but it was all as magical as the book world Winter attempted to recreate.</p><p>"Good. Now… this Disappearing Solution is through the first phase of ingredients. What's next, do you remember?" Winter's free hand gestured to a carrying case of fake potions ingredients that stood open nearby. Most of the tiny phials looked like they simply held coloured sand or beads, but it was enough to complete the look.</p><p>"Disappearing solution? Hmm…" If that was from the books, she couldn’t remember it. Maybe it didn’t matter. Straightening her glasses for a moment, she looked to the “ingredients” Winter had prepared, wondering what would create the better effect for the boiling liquid. In the end, she went for the green food colouring.</p><p>"I believe it's goblin’s blood next, right?"</p><p>"Exactly," Winter said with a grin. "Go on and add it - not too much, though."</p><p>Opening the phial, she allowed a couple of drops to enter the cauldron. Just as she anticipated, it was the right amount to change the colour of the water, to show she'd achieved the goal. Satisfied, she grinned. "Done! And it didn't blow up this time!"</p><p>Her Ravenclaw tutor had to suppress a laugh at this, but she managed. "Very good, yes. You'll get an A in Potions yet."</p><p>Of course, she meant this to sound complimentary, but she didn't know that an "O" was the most desired grade. Ruby was quick to point it out, chuckling to herself as she reached for a flask of yellow sand to keep herself temporarily occupied. "Don't you mean an O, miss? That's what I hope to get." But, she couldn't help but smirk, muttering to herself under her breath, "In more ways than one…"</p><p>Winter scowled at her. "What did I tell you about correcting me while I'm tutoring? That's one punishment you've earned when we're through… keep it up, and I'll add a few more." Clearing her throat, she recomposed herself and consulted the large, old book beneath her. It looked to be some kind of encyclopaedia volume or an atlas in which she had stuck a few pages of notes in the centre. "Now… we let this simmer for two minutes, then add… what, Rose?"</p><p>"Sorry miss! We add… U-uh…" No doubt Winter would want to add more and more punishments to the list, and in truth, Ruby was rather curious about that prospect. What kind of punishments would a Hogwarts tutor exactly use? Holding up the flask of sand to her view, she shrugged her shoulders. "Powdered Mandrake, miss?"</p><p>Winter pursed her lips, as if deciding to be mean on purpose, or to be more fair. "Very good," she finally said. "But I would hope you'd remember it faster than that by now. Well, go on, shake it in there."</p><p>"O-oop! Right!" Taking off the cap, Ruby added a much larger amount of sand to the mixture than she did with the colouring, seeing how it mixed in with the water below. Two ingredients down; how many more was Winter willing to add? But then she thought of something else she could do, and grasped the wooden spoon that rested to one side, giving the “potion” a good stirring for a while to make sure the sand mixed well.</p><p>"Gently!" she was warned, with the wand pointed at her. "You don't want to go too fast, or you'll set it off again! Honestly, you're a hazard to our health!"</p><p>"S-sorry, Mistress! I thought it would be more viscous." She tried to play along. Once satisfied, she allowed the potion to settle before reaching back to the pack of supplies once more. Perhaps Winter would want other conversations to keep them going, and to stick to the theme. "So… I hear you're doing well in Charms? That's pretty good to hear."</p><p><em>"Potionus Brewus,"</em> she said to the cauldron as she waved her wand over it - then sticking her tongue out at Ruby, a briefly out-of-character moment. They both knew that wasn't anything like a spell from the movies or books. "Yes, indeed; the professor says I'm getting top marks. I heard you're improving in there, too."</p><p>Having to suppress a laugh of her own, Ruby continued to stand upright as she nodded to her tutor, taking a fake feather from the pack. One that had obviously been painted to look like it belonged to Fawkes, the phoenix from the movie. As she held it above the mixture a moment, she smiled. "Yes! It's probably my better subject. That and Care of Magical Creatures."</p><p>"Oh! Don't add that!" Winter warned her with wide eyes, the other hand coming up as if to stop her. "A feather would upset the balance! Ruby, what are you thinking?!"</p><p>So she was going to be a little mean. Bringing her hand away from the potion again, she held the feather still in her hand, keeping it still. "But, I thought a few strands from a phoenix feather give it that longer lasting effect? It's better than troll hairs, right?"</p><p>"Yes, longer lasting, but only in the hands of an experienced witch! If we do anything slightly off, it will go up in our faces! Again!" Sighing, she snatched the feather away, pointing it at Ruby. "That's two punishments. You know we aren't ready to begin messing with the ingredients list, we're only fifth years!"</p><p>So they were in the same year in this scenario? Interesting. It was all little things for Ruby to play with in their fantasy together, things she could use in conversation. Deep down, Ruby would be more than happy to roleplay an entire scene without the sexual part, to live in one of her favourite fantasies for an evening. But the prospect of more sex, if it was going to be as amazing as last time, made it better.</p><p>"Well, what would you do to finish it?!" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "It's not my fault I'm trying new things!"</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Winter sighed, "How is it not your fault when you're the one doing it? You sound like a Slytherin." Her head nodded to the phials. "Just use the troll hairs. We're not trying to impress anyone, just getting it done so we know what we're doing in class."</p><p>"Alright, alright!" She finally rolled her eyes, collecting one of the phials Winter had prepared. This one seemed to be a few trimmings of her own silver strands of hair, only a few inches long each. Probably from a recent haircut that she had saved specifically for this event. Taking the cork out from the bottle, she poured its contents straight in with the rest of the mixture, before taking the spoon once more to stir.</p><p>"That's better." After a few minutes, she sighed and eased her legs apart, moving them off to one side instead of folded up together. "So… how are things with that girl in your dormitory going? The redhead who looks like a Weasley."</p><p>"Oh you mean Pe- The Polendina girl?" Maybe that would be a better way to keep up their illusions. Unable to help herself, she smiled happily at the mention of her name, taking the spoon out from the potion and lightly tapping the few drops off of it. "Well, not too bad. But I think she's still a bit anxious towards me. She was startled when I told her I was sleeping in your dorm."</p><p>Glancing around with an alarmed expression, Winter hissed with a finger up to her lips. "Shhh! We don't want that getting around, do we?" Clearing her throat, she set down the wand to smooth down her blouse and necktie. "Alright. This is nearly done, so… would you like to mark the results down?"</p><p>Her hands moved to one of the satchels and pulled out a ladle and a large potion bottle, complete with stopper. With a mildly disinterested look, she nodded at a roll of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink that lay near the potions ingredients.</p><p>"Yes, yes of course, Mistress." That name seemed to be an odd habit. <em>Mistress</em>. It suited her well enough, even if not for this particular role. Still, there hadn't been a complaint yet. Taking the roll of paper and the quill, she dipped it into the inkwell, about to press it into the page, when realising she hadn't a clue how to write that neatly. "Um…" she muttered to herself, still paused with the long feather in her hand, trying to hide the drops of ink that splattered on the page by writing as best she could. Which unfortunately, was very messy.</p><p>As Winter blew across the liquid resting in the ladle, waiting for it to cool off to put it in the bottle, she glanced at the page and winced. "Dreadful. No wonder I'm always fixing your essays." Then she poured it in and stoppered it. "There, this is for you to turn in tomorrow. I'll pour one for myself."</p><p>"Sorry," she muttered again, finishing up the last few words before she took the bottle to set near her paper. All there and ready to go for their “lesson” at a later date.</p><p>"Good, Rose. That's brilliant. Now…" Glancing up as she turned down the burner under the cauldron, she favoured Ruby with a smile. "Are you ready for your punishments now, or will you take them later?"</p><p>A good question again. Two punishments awaited Ruby at some point, and the more she thought on it, the more excited she was to discover what they would be. Biting her lip with a smile, she shrugged her shoulders again. "Right now will do, Mistress."</p><p>Stoppering her own potion bottle, Winter chuckled to herself as she tucked it into the ingredients case and closed it. "I see. In that case… I think it's time we practice a little spellwork, don't you?"</p><p>With careful attention, she began to move the cauldron and the burner it sat upon closer to the wall, to give them more room. Ruby could now see that Winter had been sitting on the cord that led to the nearest outlet. Not quite as magical as anticipated it seemed. But it was probably for the best that the burner was switched off before they got into play. A fire would be one of the worst distractions. Focusing her attention back on Winter again, she stood upright, quickly adjusting her glasses once more.</p><p>"What kind of spells?"</p><p>"Funny you should ask…" Only briefly checking the pages in the middle of the book again, she swished the wand at Ruby and cried, <em>"Petrificus totallus!"</em></p><p>Ruby knew a lot of the spells by heart – including the petrifying curse. She immediately stood straight, arms flat against her body. Taking a very quick glance just to check there was nothing presenting a danger behind her, she then allowed herself to fall back, falling to the ground with a FLUMP!</p><p>"Shit!" Winter breathed very quietly at the sound of her hitting the floor, but then cleared her throat. "Good, good. That will help with the punishments a lot." A smirk touched her lips. "Blink twice if you can understand me."</p><p>"Owie…" Ruby couldn't help but whisper to herself, slightly shocked at how the fall had hurt. But it wasn't serious at all. And within a few seconds, she looked up toward Winter again, blinking twice as commanded.</p><p>"Excellent. You are now at my mercy, Rose." Walking around her on a slow circle, she granted an occasional view up her skirt.</p><p>The lack of underwear was enticing. Something Ruby hadn't expected. She couldn't help herself, eyes following as she paced slowly around her, until the naughty sight was no longer visible. Then her focus went back to Winter's face. But rather noticeably, her cheeks were redder than before as she tried to lay as still and stiff as possible.</p><p>"Let's just… yes, I think that would do nicely for a start." Squatting down - and again, presenting Ruby with a brief flash of flesh before her legs were in the way again - Winter rolled Ruby over onto her stomach. Still having to remain stiff, Ruby allowed for Winter to manipulate her in this way, curling her hands into tight fists. Something to keep her focused for the time being.</p><p>Once she was face down and secure in that position, there came the sound of Winter rummaging in one of the satchels. When she approached again, she said in a clear voice, "And now… <em>Incarcerous."</em></p><p>The spell was accompanied by the feeling of something slithering over Ruby's bare calf. Something thin, but made of a type of fabric.</p><p>"Hmm?!" Unable to see what was happening, or even ask, Ruby was forced to put up with whatever Winter intended for her. Feeling the strange fabric seeming to crawl over her legs sent a small shudder up her back, making her bite her lips to try and suppress any sounds.</p><p>Now that the effect had been established, the work had to be done. Next, Ruby could feel a long, thin rod being pushed under her arms and stomach; it felt similar to the material that had teased the backs of her legs, but not quite the same. Then a thick knot of what was surely… rope. It had to be rope, there wasn't much else it could be; a thin cord maybe half an inch thick, at the most. Blinking in shock, Ruby had no choice but to be <em>bound</em>. It wasn't just to hold her steady, it had a pretty appearance, too.</p><p>Once Winter was done, Ruby was still left on the floor in her previous position, waiting patiently for Winter to lift the first spell. However, she did not… quite yet, anyway. Instead, there was another muttered spell: <em>"Obscuro." </em></p><p>This time, thin fabric slid down over Ruby's eyes from above, settling into place and blocking out all light. Blindfolds as well?! Winter really was going all out with her new sub this evening. Now Ruby couldn't move, even if she tried to! What else could Winter possibly have in store? A gag?</p><p>No. They hadn't established a signal for that. Winter wouldn't make things that extreme just yet; they would need to build toward it. That came with just as much relief as it did disappointment, but perhaps some day…</p><p>"There," she sighed, trailing the very tip of the wand up and down the back of Ruby's thigh. Tying her up had bunched the back of her robes off to one side, which looked quite awkward but did at least reveal more of her shapely legs. "Now then… <em>Finite petrificus."</em></p><p>Finally she was allowed to relax her body. And she did so, first by testing the bindings; pulling this way and that, she struggled against them as much as she could, discovering they were holding well. Now she really was at Winter's mercy.</p><p>"Oi!" she called out, struggling again. "Are you mad?! What if Filch catches us?"</p><p>"Shhhhh!" Winter warned her. "Or else I'll use a…" Another pause to glance at the book. She really was trying her best, even if she hadn't quite memorized every detail she would need. "Langlock on you!"</p><p>That shut Ruby up. Trying to look toward Winter as best she could, she struggled against the bonds on her hands again. More than anything, it was to make a show for Winter, to display how helpless she was. Something she hoped she would like. "What are you gonna do to me?"</p><p>A low chuckle floated out as she grasped Ruby's ankles and raised them up. "Well, first I have to finish what I couldn't with you stiff as a board like that." Then she began to tie the ropes around her ankles, much in the same fashion she had done around her sides and wrists. They actually connected to the tie around her wrists, in fact.</p><p>What an embarrassingly compromising position! Any effort to move her hand would surely result in exposing more of herself, revealing her in the process. Even if she was still wearing her underwear, it wasn't exactly something she wanted to display so easily. Wriggling again once it was tied, she turned her head toward Winter.</p><p>"I-it feels… good, Mistress."</p><p>At that, Winter frowned, but it was clearly a theatrical one. "Aww, what kind of punishment is it if it feels good? Oh well… guess we'll have to move on to the next one." More rummaging sounds came from nearby.</p><p>"Oh, I-I mean, u-uh…" Ruby stuttered. She meant to try and please her master, not further annoy her into making more punishments for her! Still trying to look around foolishly, she listened carefully for what her mistress was doing, unable to hear anything she could identify.</p><p>"Are you ready, Rose?" Winter demanded as she drew closer again.</p><p>And then came the feeling of her socks being pulled off. Seemed she had no choice but to see what Winter had in store for her. Swallowing, she whispered, "Yes."</p><p>There was a brief pause, and a quiet chuckle to herself. Then Winter bellowed, <em>"Rictusempra!"</em></p><p>And without a second's delay, suddenly light, teasing sensations were sliding up and down the sides of her legs, over the soles of her feet, even briefly over her wrists and knuckles.</p><p><em>"Wha-haha! Hahahaha! Hehe hahaaaa!" </em>Right away, Ruby was laughing and giggling loudly, reduced to a squirming mess on Winter's bedroom floor. She couldn't escape it! Whatever Winter was using for her spell was tickling her most sensitive areas, making it difficult to focus on anything else.</p><p>"Ahhh, this seems to be doing the trick!" Winter cackled as half of the sensation moved to the back of Ruby's neck, while the rest continued to slide from ankles to knees.</p><p>"Hahaha! No! S-stop! Hahahaha!" But from the silly grin on her face and the immense laughter, it was unsure to tell if Ruby really did want her to stop or not. She continued to squirm as best she could, trying to shrug her shoulders to keep Winter away from her neck, but failing miserably. She could do nothing about any of it but squirm, and wait till Winter was done.</p><p>Or use their safeword... but no, she didn’t want to chicken out. Not just yet and not so easily.</p><p>"Oooh, I think I- I mean, <em>the spell</em> has found the parts where Ruby Rose is most ticklish!" A little giggle followed as the teasing bits poked into her ear briefly, but only for a second before returning to the back of her neck. Meanwhile, the other half returned to her toes, swishing back and forth at a rapid pace.</p><p>"Hehehe! Nooo! I-it hahahaha I-it's too, haha! Much!!!" But Ruby was absolutely powerless, no matter how much she wriggled away from it. It just kept coming, over and over again, making it difficult to keep talking at all. She felt her toes flexing, fists clenching to try and hold on.</p><p>After another few seconds that felt like an eternity to the poor girl, Winter said in a bemused voice, <em>"Finite Rictusempra."</em> The sensations all fell away. "I may have to use that one on you again; it's great fun, and great practice."</p><p>It took a few extra seconds for the sensations to die down, and the poor girl to go slack. Finally she could lay against the floor and catch her breath, panting heavily to do just that. Whatever Winter used to tickle her certainly did the trick.</p><p>"Goodness me," Winter said, in the "Hogwarts Student" accent and tone she had been using most of their play. "I didn't think that would have that great of an effect on you, Rose! How do you feel?"</p><p>Ruby eventually tried to look back toward her again, giving a small smile and a nod back at her, and attempting to make a thumbs up gesture with her hand. While she was still breathless, it was just enough to assure she was feeling alright enough to continue, just exhausted from the tickling.</p><p>"Ooh, glad to hear that. Do you want to feel… better?" The question was vague, but had a distinct implication of what kind of "better" Winter might have meant. As she asked that, the thin, cold length of her wand passed up and down the outside of Ruby's calf. Thankfully, it wasn't the same type of sensation she'd just put up with moments before.</p><p>"B-better?" she finally had the breath to ask, leaning to try and look toward where Winter was touching. Not to much use at all. She assumed Winter was using a wand, given the texture of it, but couldn't be too sure. Whatever it as, it felt good to give her the attention she craved. She wanted more. "Yes, I.. I think so."</p><p>The sensation moved down until it was trailing over the backs of Ruby's thighs, over each inch with the lightest touch. Eventually, that meant pushing her skirt upward along with it. There was a light gasp from Ruby as she was being exposed all the more to Winter, able to feel the cool air caressing her thighs right up to her rear cheeks. Something sharp and warm closed around the blade of her foot as what was presumably the wand kept taunting the back of her thighs.</p><p>Had Winter just… <em>bit</em> her foot? The "Mmmm" that vibrated against the skin would seem to suggest she really had. Unable to help herself, Ruby curled her toes again to test the sensations. Sharp teeth were still present, biting against her flesh. Why Winter would be so interested in one of her feet was beyond the Hufflepuff girl. But it was happening, and not too unpleasant, either.</p><p>Then she could feel the wand right against the lining of her undies, causing yet another gasp. Noticing the gasp, Winter answered it - for what turned out to be the wrong reason. "Sorry, just watching these wiggle around during the Tickling Jinx… I felt like a cat watching a mouse try to escape. Made me want to attack."</p><p>Another bite, this one softer, just in case Ruby had not enjoyed the first as much as she let on. But yet again, Ruby wriggled her toes back and forth against the sensation. It was certainly interesting, and if Winter enjoyed it, she couldn't argue. In fact…</p><p>"Does Mistress like my feet?" she asked, trying to suppress a giggle.</p><p>"How <em>dare </em>you accuse me of that, Rose!" Winter cried out, again in her "Hogwarts" accent. Then, playing it up for effect, she pitched her voice so that it would sound very slightly nervous, combined with a lot of budding desire. "I wouldn't… like such a thing…" Lips grazed over the sole near where teeth had just clamped down moments before.</p><p>A small smirk graced Ruby's lips again as she waved her toes, very gently moving her feet back and forth. "It feels like you do… Is that a kiss I feel there?"</p><p>Unbeknownst to the tied-up girl, the blush that crept into Winter's cheeks was not at all staged. Not so much because of the topic, but because Ruby had discovered one of her secret kinks: a sub teasing her as a Dom.</p><p>"N-no," she breathed, kissing again, and harder. "This… it isn't what you think, you silly Hufflepuff…"</p><p>"I think it iiiis," Ruby continued, and once again wriggled her feet in a teasing manner, curling her toes on occasion. "I think you're a foot worshiper, aren't you?"</p><p>The teasing was working far more than Ruby knew. Her cheek nuzzled the wiggling toes as she breathed, "Stop, you… you can't know that…"</p><p>Obviously, she wasn't very convincing, so she decided to try to distract Ruby by pressing the wand inward against her centre again.</p><p>There was another small gasp inward as Ruby felt herself getting touched directly. Right against her panties with the wand, and it was so hard! An unfortunate side effect was how it made her think of possible other things that could go in there… Such thoughts were making her grow warmer, wetter. She found herself biting her lip, trying to suppress a moan.</p><p>"You like that, don't you?" Winter breathed, turning the teasing around on her sub now as she rubbed the wandtip up and down her sensitive lips through the thin material. "You like it when I <em>expelliarmus </em>your panties off."</p><p>"I… don't think that's how the spell works," she commented, but continued to squirm under Winter's movements, trying to shuffle herself away from the wand for the sake of her dignity. An attempt that failed miserably.</p><p>"I think it is." Of course, Winter didn't know for sure, but for the moment it didn't matter. "And… I think it's time we go a little further, don't you? I can't leave you tied up all day long." Her lips quirked. "Or…. can I?"</p><p>There was no response to that, other than Ruby clearly swallowing. There were advantages to her remaining tied for the evening; Winter would have full control, Ruby would simply have to go with the flow. But the disadvantage of remaining tied was that Ruby would still be clothed. It would be rather difficult for Winter to do anything to her.</p><p>"In fact… I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. Oh, wait…"</p><p>And there was a strain of light laughter as all pressures disappeared from the rest of Ruby's body, and she heard shoes clopping away from her.</p><p>"Huh? Mistress? …Winter?!" Upon hearing Winter walk away, she tried to look around yet again. Curse that blindfold! There was no way Winter would just leave her tied up and sightless, was there?!</p><p>Apparently, there was. The room was entirely silent for about five minutes; not even the sound of a ticking clock to break up the silence. There were distant sounds in the rest of the apartment, so at least she knew Winter was still around there somewhere.</p><p>"…Great."</p><p>Left in a compromising position, bound and blind, Ruby had no choice but to wait out her time. Shuffling yet again, the bounds held tight. Escaping that way was out. She could attempt to yell out the safeword… "No, she has the room soundproofed. She wouldn't be able to hear me." There wasn't anything she could do, other than try and get comfortable and await her master's return.</p><p>"Ahhhh," Winter sighed softly as she reentered the room. "There's my favourite pupil, right where I left her. So patient!" The voice grew closer, and to one side of Ruby. "Did you have a nice break?"</p><p>"Winter?!" It was as though Ruby was barely able to believe she'd got back from the shocked tone of voice. Squirming yet again against the bonds, she groaned, "That wasn't funny! You just left!"</p><p>A hand patted her backside - perhaps a little harder than was necessary, but still nowhere near a spanking. "You were fine, I'm sure. And I brought you a little treat, too…"</p><p>"What if I needed the bathroom, or had a panic atta- wait, a treat?" she asked, yet again making a futile attempt to look.</p><p>"Yes," Winter cooed. "A treat for Rose. Here, I'll give you a hint…"</p><p>And suddenly, there was a sharp, ice-cold sensation directly between her thighs. Not quite high enough to reach anywhere more sensitive, but not far off, either.</p><p>"HAAAAH!" Yet again, Ruby tried to shuffle herself forward and away, squirming almost as much as she had when she was tickled. "What the heck is that?!"</p><p>"The question is, do you like it?" The object turned very slowly, and that revealed that it was round. Also, wet; she could feel moisture running down the inside of her legs to the floor.</p><p>"It's freezing!" Ruby truly hadn't a clue what was being placed on her skin. The more it turned, the colder it was. There was no way that she could get away from it. "Seriously, what is it?!"</p><p>Giggling, the object was removed and brought around to Ruby's face, and chill, smooth glass was pressed up against her lips. "I fetched you some refreshment."</p><p>"God, it was freezing…" Ruby continued to comment, although when feeling the edge of it touch her lips she puckered them ready to take a sip, waiting for Winter to pour it gently. So Winter tipped it up for her, the other hand pressing gently against her forehead to help her head remain upright while she swallowed.</p><p>"Do you like?"</p><p>Taking a few sips from the glass, she welcomed the strange gingery flavour, with a hint of cream. It was a flavour she didn't recognise, but a good one. Finally trying to turn to one side once she'd had enough, she sighed. "That was nice, actually."</p><p>"A little butterbeer to quench your thirst."</p><p>Then soft lips were replacing the mouth of the bottle, pressing in so gently it was almost as if they weren't there. Relishing in the small kiss for a moment, Ruby hummed contentedly. And then realised; Butterbeer! That had to be imported either from Florida or from the UK studios. Winter really got some just for her to try? How much was her master willing to spend on her sub?</p><p>When their lips parted again, Winter whispered, "Fancy any more, Rose? Or do you want to be out of these ropes quicker? Your choice."</p><p>Again, the choice. She could be out of the ropes at last, to be free to either end their play there or finish in a simple manner. Or, they could make things more intense. Once again, she got thinking; what if she wasn't wearing clothes under the ropes? What if she was tied and naked, an item for Winter to just freely use? It was an exciting thought, one that brought all the more heat to her sex. Her Dom hadn't even seen her naked properly – not yet. But that didn't stop Ruby from egging her on.</p><p>"Don't suppose you have a spell to get me naked in these ropes, do you?"</p><p>"Hmm…" A few seconds ticked by with Winter thinking that proposition over. Then she leaned down and whispered, "Muggle," before slightly peeling up one side of Ruby's blindfold so she could see her.</p><p>Finally she could see. Blinking to adjust to the light again, Ruby made eye contact with her Dom, tilting her head questioningly. "Did I do something wrong?"</p><p>"No, no," Winter assured her immediately with a gentle smile. "But I wanted to ask… would you rather we stop this play and strip you? Or do you want 'Winter the Ravenclaw' to be more hardline with you and tell you 'no'? I have… <em>ideas </em>for either choice." That word being stressed made it sound an awful lot like Winter wasn't bluffing.</p><p>"Ideas?" It certainly got Ruby's attention. If she had plans either way, then there was nothing to lose. What <em>did</em> Ruby want? Truthfully, she wanted to remain in the fantasy world they had created. To be the small, helpless student at the mercy of her Ravenclaw tutor. Perhaps not a teacher, but it was close enough to her darkest fantasy; she could pretend. Biting her lip, she smirked mischievously.</p><p>"Well… I do like Winter the Ravenclaw…"</p><p>Chuckling at the impish grin on her sub’s face, the Dom traced her fingertips through Ruby’s hair. “Maybe we can reach a compromise. What if we keep the scene ‘paused’, and I untie you and strip you as quick as I can? Then we’ll ‘unpause’, and act as if it’s all been a spell to undress you.”</p><p>That was exactly what Ruby wanted. There would be no way they could actually remove clothes through the bindings, but it would be the closest thing to her potential fantasy. A brief moment to simply set things up for the next scene. Giving a nod, she tried to shuffle her hands again.</p><p>"Sounds good. You don't have to tie me back up as pretty as this if you don't want to."</p><p>"Oh, I'm a <em>shibari </em>master," Winter informed her. "Without feigning the spellwork, I could redo that in five minutes or less. But I also have some other apparatus with which to hogtie you again if you'd rather not wait."</p><p>"You really do have everything here!" Ruby teased, flexing her fingers slightly as Winter began to loosen what was on her. Finally her arms were freed, then she moved on to her feet. Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby smiled. "I gotta admit, I'm curious. But I think going back to the ropes would be better for the pausing thing."</p><p>"We can do that another time. I mean, if you're still enjoying our arrangement." As her hands raised up and began helping Ruby remove her "uniform", she added, "Believe me, I have an entire closet full of possibilities, and a fairly empty social calendar in the evenings and on weekends. There will be time."</p><p>"As long as your roomie's okay with it." Ruby continued to help with removing her clothes, unbuttoning her shirt gradually for her pleasure. Although, while they were on that subject… "How come they aren't here, anyways?"</p><p>"Out making themselves scarce." When Ruby only quirked an eyebrow, she snorted, "They know what I get up to here, and that under those circumstances, I appreciate having the place to myself. Don't worry, no one's going to bust in on us."</p><p>Smirking again, she gave a rather taunting wink back to Winter. "Do <em>they </em>have this sort of arrangement with you?"</p><p>Luckily for both of them, at that exact second, Winter had been about to undo the black-and-yellow necktie from around Ruby's collar. Instead, she grasped it and jerked her forward so their bodies were flush with each other. She gazed straight into her silver eyes.</p><p>"That… would be asking me to breach a Dom-sub nondisclosure agreement. And you wouldn't do that… would you, Lady?"</p><p>The mischief vanished. All Ruby could do was look back into Winter's eyes with a mixture of fear and arousal. She really did have her wrapped around her little finger. "N-no, ma'am! Sorry!"</p><p>But in a way, it answered her question. Otherwise Winter would have outright said no, rather than calmly avoid the question. But there was a new question she now asked herself out of curiosity: was Winter a Dom or a sub with this mysterious roommate?</p><p>"You're forgiven." She kissed Ruby's nose briefly. "And no harm done. I just don't want you prying into that kind of thing too much, or getting into the habit of doing it at the Clamp, either. It's… impolite, and could get you hurt if you do it to just the wrong person."</p><p>"Okay. Understood, yeah… won't do that," she backtracked, sliding off her skirt and tossing it aside. It was a fair point on Winter's part that she shouldn't pry into people's business. Anyone could be dating anyone, for numerous reasons. It wasn't for Ruby to know, and she had to protect them as much as she would want to be protected.</p><p>Moving on to the task she was looking forward to, but equally nervous about, she reached her hands behind her to the straps of her bra. Pulling it together to prise it free, she allowed it to slide off her arms, revealing her modest chest to Winter. Releasing the necktie, having opted not to take it off after all, Winter reached down and traced her fingertips around either side of the erect little peaks.</p><p>"Ohhh… have I told you lately how much I enjoy your form? All of it… and I'm straight six days of the week!"</p><p>"I guess I'll have to note down Wednesday is your gay day." Ruby giggled to herself at that little joke. But the hands on her chest were irresistible. She found herself having to lean forward against them, smiling contentedly when soft thumbs moved over the tips. So soft, even when she was at her mercy.</p><p>"Guess you will." Her smile slipped on one side. "Actually, I'm sorry you haven't been here in a couple of weeks; I was waiting for some of these supplies to come in. Plus there was a lot going on at the office."</p><p>"It's fine! Don't worry about it." Taking a moment to stand still and recover, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and added, "I can imagine things are hectic right now with Fènleng on the scene. Yang mentioned they've had a few people at their door asking dumb questions so I can't imagine how much more you've had if you're the middle man."</p><p>"It's…" Winter reconsidered what she had been about to say, hands pausing on Ruby's stomach. "Well, not exactly a 'PR nightmare', but it's made a lot more work for us. But that's shop talk, and you're here to play." Her hands glided around the waist, index fingers dipping just under Ruby's waistband.</p><p>"Yeah but, we're paused." She held onto Winter's hands for a moment to stop her, looking up into her eyes to catch her attention. "You can talk to me, y’know. I'm not just a sub, I wanna be a friend to you, as well."</p><p>For whatever reason, the insistence from Ruby made the taller woman blink down at her with some surprise. "Of course you aren't <em>just </em>a sub. At the very least, you're my sister-in-law. But even more…" Her fingers came up to caress the soft apple cheek of the girl in front of her. "You're already my friend. Just a… new one."</p><p>Smiling back gratefully, Ruby allowed one of her hands to hold Winter's against her cheek still, leaning in against it. "Good. So if you want to talk about whatever, we can."</p><p><em>Is this delving into romantic territory?</em> she thought to herself. That was one of the major rules Penny had against their arrangement. No romance; at least, not without telling her. And though she insisted it wouldn't happen, here she was - just about naked, looking up affectionately to Winter. In a very similar manner she would with Penny. Was it a step too far?</p><p>Perhaps Winter had recognized that, as well, because she smiled a bit wider and gave Ruby a light kiss on the forehead; one more like Yang would give her than Penny. Obviously, it was a move to tone down the emotional vibe between them. "No, no, I'm finished. It's nothing I can't handle." Then she reached the other hand down to squeeze Ruby's backside. "I'm much more interested in finishing our scene than rehashing crap from the office."</p><p>"Oooh…" Clenching her rear muscle slightly against the hand, Ruby purred with surprise. But alas, she too was far more interested in reaching the end of their play than anything else. That didn't mean she wasn't going to ask later, though. "Alrighty." Finally letting to of Winter's hands, she smiled mischievously again. "I believe you were removing my undies?"</p><p>"Yes. Let me see you stripped." The fingertips raised up again, pulling at the waistband until it began to slip downward. Ruby was prepared for this; below she was freshly trimmed, making everything neat and tidy for her Dom. Assisting further, Ruby stepped out the underwear once she'd lowered them enough, letting Winter place them with the rest of her clothes.</p><p>Then for the last item. Her glasses. Taking them off and folding them neatly, she quickly leant over to put them down on one of Winter's desks. That was something she couldn't risk throwing among the pile.</p><p>"You could have left them on," Winter chuckled softly, eyes sliding up and down her flawless form. "The whole 'Potter' thing. But it's okay if you don't want to have them in harm's way, should things get… vigorous."</p><p>"Yeah, was kinda worried about it." Though stepping away from Winter again, she reached to pick up one of the ropes on the floor, innocently handing it toward her. "Speaking of which…?"</p><p>A wicked grin flashed across her face. "Ohhh, I am gonna enjoy this."</p><p>And she did. In a matter of minutes, she had Ruby hogtied on the floor again, the ropes tied in such intricate, visually appealing patterns up the front of her, above and below her breasts… around her hips, ankles, wrists. Everything was tight, but not so tight that it would be uncomfortable or cut off her circulation. She really had done this many times… or had it done to <em>herself</em> many times, at the least.</p><p>Right away Ruby assumed her role, faking a nervousness in her voice. "I can't believe you’ve done this! How can you be sure Filch won't walk in?"</p><p>"Because I magically locked the door!" Winter snapped, walking around Ruby in a circle now. Completely missing Ruby’s meme reference. "But of course, we both know you don't mind this as much as you're pretending! Isn't that right, Rose?!"</p><p>Struggling again against the bonds, she looked toward her master once more. Still slightly nervous, but more excited about what was to come. Winter was right. "I'm not giving you that satisfaction!" she shouted back, tugging at her ankles. "Not when I could tease you more!"</p><p>And Winter's eyes flicked toward the ankles and back. "Hah! As if that's…" Another flick. "Stop changing the subject! I have you tied up, and I'm going to make sure you remember it!"</p><p>Yet again, Ruby curled her toes and flicked her ankles again, smirking to herself. Even in character, it was beginning to grow more obvious just how well it was working, how attracted to her body Winter was. This really was a “gay day”.</p><p>"Oh I'll remember," she goaded. "I'll remember how much you can't resist me!"</p><p>After a second, Winter whispered under her breath, "Damn. Forgot to put the blindfold back." She bent over at the waist and quickly tugged it into place, then breathed, "Sorry," before straightening again.</p><p>"Ow!" With how quickly she tied it she had managed to catch a few strands of hair. But it was enough that could be ignored. Besides, she knew she was obviously getting to her master. "You really do, huh?" She grinned. "Wow, I never expected how much you did!"</p><p>"Do what?" Winter hedged, back in her "Hogwarts" accent once again now that she had fixed that minor mistake. "Do want to tease my trussed up turkey?"</p><p>So it wasn't working anymore. Growing nervous again, the grin was slowly vanishing from her face, where she bit her lips nervously instead. "A-and how… how will you do that?"</p><p>Satisfied that her ploy to distract Ruby had worked, both in and out of character, Winter chuckled. "Oh, I have a special spell for that…" There was the sound of rooting through a satchel once more, then a page being turned nearby. When she returned, she knelt by Ruby's side, seemingly ready to proceed.</p><p>"Are you ready for the <em>ultimate</em> in witchcraft?" Even to her own ears, the line sounded silly, but she hoped her sub wouldn't mind too much.</p><p>Swallowing, said sub leant her head against the ground and resigned herself. Winter was going to have her way, and there was nothing she could do to stop her. No more teasing. Eventually she nodded, waiting for what she would do. "Yes."</p><p>"Good. First… <em>Engorgio!"</em> Of course, there was no actual sound of the spell taking effect, but Winter paused as if there were. Then she breathed, "Now, we are ready."</p><p>An instant later, something textured and semi-firm was brushing up and down the insides of Ruby's thighs. Suddenly Ruby's muscles tensed up again. That felt a lot thicker than her wand did… Maybe Ruby's idea that Winter would use some kind of object to tease her wasn't so far fetched after all. And that spell…</p><p>"What is that?" she asked. "Why does it need to be bigger?"</p><p>"It's something just for my Rose," Winter cooed, trailing it higher and higher until it was within a hair's breadth of her moistened lips. "She's going to take it… ohhh, she's going to take it <em>deep.</em>"</p><p>Clenching her muscles closed again instinctively, her eyes opened wide behind the blindfold. There really was something going inside her tonight. Something big, and as she said, something that would get deep. Biting her lip nervously, she shuddered at the thought.</p><p>"O-oh… wait, be careful! I've never, um, had anything that big before!"</p><p>As it began to edge its way between the folds, Winter cooed, "First time for everything. And you can't do a thing to stop me, tied up like you are…" As it delved a little further in, she continued to taunt her. "You don't want me to stop anyway, do you? Yes… yes, you're really looking forward to this. To me opening you up."</p><p>Feeling it right against her lips had her breath quickening. And Ruby wasn’t lying; she really hadn't had anything too big inside her body. Nothing bigger than two fingers, at least. And from the feel of whatever Winter had, this was going to be a fair bit bigger. Would it cause damage if Winter rammed it inside so quickly?</p><p>Biting her lip nervously, she had to call up out of character, "Winter, I'm serious. Just… Go slow? At first?"</p><p>"I'll do what I want, you Hufflepuff!" Winter snapped. But the latter was clearly added to remind Ruby that they were, after all, still playing out a scene. At the same time, the object ceased its slow, inward progress and instead began to shift back and forth very slightly.</p><p>Ruby gasped shakily. This was really happening! And by Winter's gradual pace, it was going to head deeper and deeper, even if not right away.</p><p>After another moment of teasing her body, preparing her, it began to push in again - and there was more resistance. Winter seemed to hesitate, then placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder, stroking up and down for a moment. She was waiting for a signal; should she continue, or did Ruby not want what was about to happen to happen under these unusual circumstances?</p><p>But there was no response from Ruby. She seemed unaware of what was truly happening within her body. What was being pushed against. That was until Winter pushed a little more, and could feel something <em>give</em>. And that something had her wincing fairly loudly. A sharp, intense pain, like something had torn.</p><p>
  <em>"Muggle! Muggle!!"</em>
</p><p>The presence inside of her vanished, and Winter pulled up the blindfold, cradling her face in both hands. "Are you alright?!" she demanded the instant they could establish eye contact.</p><p>Ruby’s legs closed tightly, eyes clenching shut still as she bore the pain. Already she could feel her eyes watering, but she held herself back. She couldn't cry in front of her dom, that would ruin everything! "What the heck was that?! It felt good, then… then something felt weird, and it really hurt, I just freaked out!"</p><p>"Why didn't you tell me?!" Winter snapped, somewhere between angry and sad. "I'd never have done it this way if I had known – you should have disclosed to me before we ever had our first scene!"</p><p>"I did!" She finally managed to open her watery eyes again, still holding herself back. It was more from that sudden pain than truly feeling sad. "I said I'd never had anything that big! I didn't know taking things bigger would hurt!"</p><p>"Then you… really didn’t- alright." Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get upset, but… it's unusual that you would have taken anything in without clipping the hymen. But now it's done, so… so there's no use in crying over spilled milk."</p><p><em>Oh… THAT'S what that was,</em> she thought to herself, sniffling as she looked back down toward the ground. No wonder Winter was so upset that she didn't know; it was something that no one could give her back. Blinking a few times to try and clear her tears, Ruby shook her head again before she looked back up to her.</p><p>"Sorry, I had… I had no idea. Like, I thought that only- I d-don’t know what I thought. Sounds like my school's sex ed fucking sucked, huh?"</p><p>But of course, Winter saw the sparkle of wetness on her eyelashes, and frowned further. "God, Ruby… I would have done this so differently. If I did it at all! I should have- well, I say I should have looked, but that would be pretty strange. I'm not your gynecologist." She traced her fingernails through Ruby's hair. "Are you okay, though? Do you need me to untie you?"</p><p>She shook her head again. "No! No I don't want that. I mean…" For a moment, she looked to one side, instinctively leaning her head against the hand that was fussing through her hair. Even when her hands a moment ago were teasing and enticing her, they did just as good a job at calming her right down, relaxing her.</p><p>"I was really enjoying it. So hot, even if kinda weird. I just… I didn't know it would hurt that much. Will it still hurt? Or is… that it now?"</p><p>"It might still be a little sensitive," Winter admitted. "But the worst of it will be over now. I'm so sorry this had to happen this way, with you tied up, and…" Bending low, she kissed the top of Ruby's head. "Virginity is such an overrated thing, anyway. It doesn't matter in the slightest. What matters is if you're enjoying yourself."</p><p>"Well, I've heard of people ripping theirs when riding horses and stuff. That's why I guess I kinda assumed I didn't have one or something, with me and Penny doing stuff in the past…" But after a short while, she finally parted her legs again, into the same position they once were. And with a small nod, she smiled. "I do wanna keep going, though."</p><p>A very soft laugh floated out of Winter's throat, betrayed as it was by her sad eyes. "You're a real trooper, Ruby Rose. And… when we're finished with our scene, I have a treat for you - not a 'Lady' treat, but something I think you'll like." Clearing her throat, she leaned down to kiss her head again before reaching up to the blindfold. "Ready to begin?"</p><p>That made everything all the more sweeter. Winter wasn't angry with her after all; that enough was plenty of relief for the smaller girl. As things went, it was probably the best outcome for the loss of something so intimate. Even if it wasn't Penny, it was someone she trusted deeply. Trusted so much, she wanted to continue until the end. Nodding, she smiled.</p><p>"Ready."</p><p>"Okay." The blindfold came down to eclipse her vision again. Seconds later, she whispered, "Begin play" for good measure.</p><p>"Alright, Rose," the colder voice snapped as the foreign object began to push its way into her once more. "I'm about to change your entire world."</p><p>Yet again, her breath quickened. In the blink of an eye, Winter could go from a calming presence to a merciless Dom. It was something she adored, but also feared at the same time. Winter truly was a mystery. Biting her lip as the object slid past her defenses, she took another breath in preparation. .</p><p>And this time, it wasn't stopping, even if the pace was as gradual as before. Moreso, in fact; Winter seemed to have taken Ruby's newly-discarded virginity into consideration, even if her character did not.</p><p>"Ooh, look at you taking all of this… every last inch of it. You really were dying to have me invade you, weren't you? Such a naughty Hufflepuff."</p><p>When it slid past the point that hurt last time, there was a small shudder that went through her body. But not one of pain. One of pleasure. One that was made so obvious when she looked outward blankly against the blindfold, moaning out rather quietly.</p><p>Humming with satisfaction, Winter manoeuvred herself around to one side, positioning herself with her head just above where her wrists and ankles were hogtied so that her arm could get a better angle. As could her vision; looking straight down, she was just able to glimpse what she was doing to Ruby's sensitive sex.</p><p>And within a few more seconds… "There. All the way filled. How does that feel?"</p><p>"It's so big…" she half-whispered, half-moaned. Whatever Winter had used to fill her insides truly was larger than anything she had ever taken. And when she tested it by clenching her muscles even tighter against it, she found herself moaning outward again, arms quivering in pleasure. Which in turn, caused her ankles to twitch, as well.</p><p>Which Winter did notice, but she was determined to ignore. That was a separate play for a separate occasion; Ruby was experiencing being filled for the first time, and it was her duty to make sure the orgasm was one of the best she'd ever had.</p><p>"Do you like it this big?" Winter demanded of her, turning the thick shape within her very slowly. "Does it touch you in ways you didn't think you could be touched?"</p><p>"Oooohhh…" she strained out once again. It truly was teasing her in all the right places! And as she rotated the object, it was touching all the more of her, brushing against her inner walls in new and insane ways. "Yes!" she moaned, clenching her muscles down onto the object. "God, it really does, Mistress!"</p><p>"Good," Winter cooed, bringing it around to the original position. Then she began to slowly pull it back out of her. Inwardly, she hoped Ruby would say something if this was moving too fast, but her Dom persona certainly wouldn't stop to ask at that juncture.</p><p>It certainly wasn't. The sub found herself missing the sensation of being filled again. She wanted it back in there, back deep. Was something wrong with her to crave something so depraved? If there was, she didn't care right now. Especially not when she made a silly attempt to move back against the object.</p><p>However, unbeknownst to Ruby, her Dom didn't think it was silly at all. It filled her with a tingling of lust to see the girl, newly christened a woman, so eager to participate and enjoy these foreign sensations. So she slowly began to ease it back inward - though it was a fair bit faster than the time previous.</p><p>Yet again, there was another strained moan. Feeling it re-enter after a brief period away was so good! Far better than she ever expected it to be! And with the speed growing even faster than it had before, it hit all new places, teased all new parts of her. She loved it. Maybe she really was growing more corrupt, craving more obscene things for her body.</p><p>As she watched Ruby writhe below her, Winter held onto her shin with the free hand, to steady both of them. With more leverage now, she began to push it in and out of Ruby at a faster pace, listening to the sounds it was beginning to create.</p><p>"She's so wet," Winter cooed at her sub. "Wet and ready. Mmm, next time I'll have to drink her… bottle her up as a potion, perhaps." A particularly jerky thrust, just for variety. "A potion of lust."</p><p>"Hah… Ah…" The moans were continuous now. As Winter continued at a faster pace, her callings of pleasure were syncing up perfectly – a melody to rival that of her Dom's sister's singing, all summoned by the movements of that object pumping in and out of her. She no longer cared what it was, just that it wouldn't stop. Not until she got the finish she was craving.</p><p>As Ruby writhed and moaned, enjoying the pounding that was heightening her pleasure with every pass, Winter found herself with a small, unexpected problem. There really was no other way for her to continue to do what she was doing, no other angle from which to best deflower her – not without rolling her over, anyway, and that would be too painful on the poor girl's limbs. Therefore…</p><p>She was stuck face-to-feet, staring at what Ruby had been using to tease her earlier. Not glancing at them very often was working so far, but the faster she slid her instrument of pleasure in and out of Ruby, the more the toes curled and uncurled. Would they prove impossible to ignore, after all?</p><p>"Oooohh!" And that got particularly worse when Winter hit one spot. When she angled against her spine slightly, something felt even better than before, causing Ruby to yell out in even louder pleasure. She was already beginning to sweat before, but this was making her fists clench… and toes curl in as tightly as they could.</p><p>Hot breath caressed over Ruby's ankles as Winter began to feel the effects of her exertion, having to thrust into her over and over with the as-yet-unnamed object. She may have been in fantastic shape, but even she would sweat during a workout. And bringing her sub off definitely qualified.</p><p>"Do you… like it right there?" she asked, trying to replicate the effect with her next thrust.</p><p>Thankfully, it did. Rather perfectly, in fact, as the poor erstwhile virgin called out once more, growling with delight. "Yes!" she called loudly, grinning with glee. "Yes! Oh Winter, again!"</p><p>"Yeah! Yeah, that's right, again!" Licking her lips, she leaned even further down to better angle her shoulder, so she could deliver the maximum thrust possible once they really got going…</p><p>And felt a big toe writhing back and forth against her cheek. How was she supposed to ignore Ruby being so cute and squirmy? This really was testing her limits as a Dom; it was part of the reason she preferred to be on the receiving end most of the time. Temptation was hard to fight.</p><p>Something else was growing hard to fight, as well. Ruby's overwhelming need for her finish. To further tease Winter, though not with her intent, her trussed legs were beginning to shudder and quiver right by Winter, toes vibrating again right by her cheeks. "W-winter!" she called again, allowing herself another moment to moan. "I-I'm so close… I-I'm gonna- <em>ah!"</em></p><p>The temptation would not win; Winter loved seeing and feeling the wriggling toes, but she could resist that long. It was easy. She was nothing if not professional. "That's it, Rose! Let it happen; let me conjure your orgasm here and now! Shout for me, squirm and shout! Be a good little Hufflepuff!"</p><p>All Ruby had to do was clamp her muscles onto the object again, and she was done for. The Hufflepuff turned into a quivering, shuddering mess on the ground as she called out loudly, straining against the ropes as her muscles pulsed with pure joy. As expected, her last little occurrence when she finished was not a one off. Being laid on her stomach, any of the fluid she secreted went straight against the ground, the ropes, or on the object; coating it with a different kind of fluid. It was far beyond her control.</p><p>And though Ruby could not see it, Winter was watching all the while, eyes wide. However, rather than being revolted, she was smiling, mouth very slightly open. What a glorious sight! Knowing her sub's climax was so powerful she couldn't help but squirt that way filled her with pride. A job well done.</p><p>Top marks.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys, I know you came here for the smuts and I won't take up much of your time (or you can skip this author note, don't say you couldn't lmao). But there's a lot going on out there and it's pretty terrifying. If you aren't already doing all you can, visit this <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/">Black Lives Matter</a> website for more information on what's up and how you can help. Thanks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: fluffy date feels, roleplay, spooning, reacharound, fingering, female ejaculation, cuddling.<br/>Nuts And Dolts: make out session, public sex, car sex, fingering, cunnilingus, coitus interruptus.</p><p>NOTICE: There are many references to Harry Potter in this chapter. The authors of this fic do not agree with or condone JK Rowling's controversial views on the transgender community. She might have made a universe that many of us loved but it doesn't mean she's right about everything, and sometimes our idols can really disappoint us.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 4</b>
</p><p>After the spasms subsided to an occasional twitch, Winter turned aside and kissed Ruby’s ankle. "That looked like you enjoyed it quite a lot."</p><p>All the poor girl could do was lay against the ground with an elated grin on her face, breathing deeply but happily to recollect herself. She certainly did enjoy every moment, and such an orgasm had clearly taken its toll on the poor little Hufflepuff. She definitely wouldn’t mind if they did this again sometime.</p><p>After giving her a minute or so to collect herself, Winter asked as softly as she could manage, "Okay… out or in?"</p><p>"Whuh?" Ruby only just managed to ask, turning her head in Winter's direction to try her best to look again. She could still feel the large object inside her, and even now there was an odd fullness that she enjoyed. But alas, if she had any hope of calming down enough to make the journey back home, she'd need to end things now. "O-out."</p><p>"Okay," Winter chuckled. "On three, then. Alright? One, two… three." Then, in one smooth, quick motion, she withdrew the thick length from within Ruby's well-deflowered flower.</p><p>"Oooh!" One last shudder, and Ruby was free of it again. Empty. It was a strange feeling after taking something so big, but came with just as much relief. Smiling and panting still, she asked rather cheekily, "Don't suppose I can see it now, can I?"</p><p>"Sure," Winter sighed, pressing her face up against the arch of Ruby's foot. "Just… give me a second and I'll untie you."</p><p>But that didn't fool her. She could feel Winter there, and she wasn't going to let her get off Scot free. "What's the matter? <em>Foot </em>got your tongue?"</p><p>That quickly, Winter pushed herself upright and away. "Right, sorry - your wrists must be chafing by now…"</p><p>Flexing her hands and rotating them around, she chuckled slightly nervously in agreement, trying to push them toward her. "Yeah, kinda. Knees ache, too."</p><p>"Alright, let's take care of that. These knots are actually very easy to undo." Which she proceeded to demonstrate, fingers flying over them and loosening bonds here and there. Only once more did Winter pause over the wriggling soles, and it was very brief. Then, her sub was freed.</p><p>"There," she sighed, sitting back on her shoes. "You are a turkey no more."</p><p>"Gobble, gobble!" With a giggle, Ruby brought her hands back at last and rotated them quite a while to loosen them, rubbing them to aid with that, as well. She also rotated her feet in the same way to relax them, flexing her toes here and there in addition. Only then did she finally reach up and pull away the blindfold.</p><p>When she looked over, she saw Winter had used quite a strange object, indeed. It was more or less the size and dimensions of a human phallus, but more perfectly straight… and tapered. Between that, the tannish colour, texturing, and the shape of the handle…</p><p>"It's a 'love wand'," Winter informed her with a smirk. "Special ordered. Might be kind of ridiculous, but I thought it was at least wizard-themed."</p><p>A light blush formed on Ruby's cheeks again. Special ordered? Yet another thing she had bought for their one particular scene. It seemed like Winter practically had money to burn. Making short work of the rest of the ties around herself, she let them drop to the ground, stepping out of them.</p><p>"How much did you spend on me?" she asked. "’Cause I know the robes alone don't come cheap."</p><p>"Don't worry about that," Winter told her right away, no hesitation. "It was part of the scene, and I volunteered to do it. You didn't even help me set this one up, so it's all on me."</p><p>"I know but, this is a lot." She shrugged her shoulders once again nervously. "Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate it, really! But, if you're spending this much on me, how much are you dropping on everyone? Are you okay with it? Like, you’re not taking out a small business loan just for your subs, are you?"</p><p>The elder woman blinked at her for a moment before her mouth turned up in a soft smile. "You're really worried, aren't you?" Reaching forward, she cupped Ruby's cheek with the lightest touch she could manage. "I'm fine. Not 'Google futures' fine, but believe me, buying a couple of outfits and this piece of silicon that looks like wood isn't going to mean I can't eat or pay rent. But… thank you."</p><p>Smiling back contentedly, she nodded. Yet again, she found one of her hands raising to the one on her cheek, pressing it up against her face even more. Winter's soft hands… "It's no problem."</p><p>The content expression grew deeper on Winter’s face, and she allowed herself to enjoy the touch for a moment before she spoke again. "Good. Now then, to reveal the solid gold Galleons I bought for you…"</p><p>"Wha?!" For Winter's sake, and the sake of her own sanity, she hoped that was a joke.</p><p>But in their encounter for the night, something different seemed to twig for Ruby. Winter was the first person to treat her with various luxuries. Even if they were just for one night, it was more than anyone had done for her before. How could this just be friendship? And there were also the adoring looks, comments on her body… Could her sister-in-law actually have a bit of a crush on her?</p><p><em>Nope, we're not going down that road, either,</em> Ruby told herself. <em>Penny treats you great! In her own way, at least; she can't afford this stuff, sure, but you can't betray her by not telling her about any romantic stuff going on with somebody else. Don’t worry about what’s going on with Winter until it’s a real problem.</em></p><p>However, that thought brought about a gasp. She had forgotten something else she promised. "Wait, what time is it?!"</p><p>"Hmm? Oh, I…" Glancing around, she craned her neck over toward where the nightstand usually was - only to see nothing there. "Ah, damn. I was so concerned with making sure all technology was hidden! Hang on, I'll check the bathroom clock for you." She was already heading through the door.</p><p>"Alright, sorry!"</p><p><em>Shit. Not only did you forget you'd be home for Penny, you made Winter feel like crap, as well. Great job, you dumbass.</em> Those thoughts alone were enough to make her run her hands down her face, groaning in annoyance. It was probably midnight, knowing Ruby's luck; way later than her self-designated curfew. It might seem a ridiculous promise to some, but Ruby knew how important it was to sleep beside her girlfriend.</p><p>"About ten 'til ten," Winter said as she returned, tossing something in a foil wrapper to Ruby. "Also, you'll want to have a small something, especially since you… well, lost a little blood."</p><p>"Oop!" Just managing to catch it before it hit her across the face, Ruby unwrapped it immediately to reveal: "A chocolate frog!" That would hit the spot. The poor Hufflepuff was certainly in the mood for something sweet after that intense pleasure! But before Winter went to put things away, she thought it best to speak up.</p><p>"I'm sorry, by the way. About the whole virginity thing. I honestly had no idea."</p><p>"You didn't know you were a virgin? That's a first. But honestly, I'm only sad I couldn't give you the proper treatment - like, if… oh, but it doesn't matter what I would have done now. I hope you enjoyed today, though."</p><p>"Well I'm not, exactly. Or I wasn’t, even before. I mean, me and Penny have done stuff. With fingers. I guess I just counted that as my virginity even without the… <em>breakage</em>." She nervously scratched the back of her head again. Although, she was still curious. "What <em>would </em>you have done?"</p><p>Winter shrugged, thinking for a moment. "Oh… I don't know, I haven't had to take a sub's virginity before. Probably something involving covering the bed in rose petals, maybe some soft music. And probably fairly vanilla sex; it's sort of a lot to deal with on top of being tied up and things, isn't it?"</p><p>"That's sounding very…" <em>Don't do it. Don't go there!</em> "…romantic."</p><p><em>God fucking damnit! </em>But it honestly was. The idea of a woman setting things out and making them perfect just for her was enough to warm her heart, make her feel truly special. A feeling that she <em>should</em> only feel for one person.</p><p>Who, talking of which, she was supposed to be heading home to, and so Ruby began to fetch her underwear. "I'm sorry I never mentioned that I have to get home tonight, either, but Penny kind of wants me to. I mean, if I'm desperate, I don't think she'd have a problem but-"</p><p>"Oh? That's fine…" The disappointment in Winter's tone was very slight, but there all the same. She tried to dispel it as she continued, "Would you have time to go over today's session, or are you… needing to leave immediately?"</p><p>Pulling on her underwear first, she looked back toward Winter. She could sense the disappointment, even if she wasn't trying to show it. Running off so suddenly wasn't something she wanted to do at all. Nor did she truly want to leave Winter without doing her part in tidying up.</p><p>"Well…" It was getting late, however. The ride was at least half an hour back to home, and Ruby had told Penny half past ten would be her latest to get home. With there being so little time, she shrugged, following her deepest heart’s desire. "Okay, I'll let Penny know I'm tired and I’m gonna stay; if that's okay with you."</p><p>"What? No, you don't have to cancel on her! That wasn't… I didn't mean for you to change your plans if you need to be home, I'm sorry."</p><p>"No, I want to." It was the truth. Gesturing to the layout of the room, she said, "You spent forever setting this up for me! It wouldn't be fair for me to run off and leave you to clean up without any help. She's just…" Scratching her head nervously, she sighed. "She's scared of things possibly turning romantic without her knowing about it first. Like, she's okay if things do, but not behind her back."</p><p>That caught Winter by complete surprise. She had been about to bend to pick up the "Hogwarts textbook," and forgot all about it as she straightened again. "You… think you and I… she thinks we would have an affair? An actual adulterous affair?"</p><p>"No… Well, yes… Well, no- I don't know!" Ruby hadn't even bothered to put the rest of her clothes on, dropping her shirt again from when she was about to slide it over her head. Running a hand through her hair, she tried to think more into it. "I guess she's never done this kind of thing before, she doesn't know what to think. And honestly, neither have I. This is all brand new! It's not that she doesn't trust you, or doesn't trust me. I think she just worries she'll be left behind, or something."</p><p>But Winter was chuckling to herself. It seemed a bit out of place and insensitive, until she said, "Penny has nothing to fear, believe me. I don't fall for my subs. Not that you aren't an incredible young woman; she's very lucky to have you. But I've never felt a romantic attachment before." Then she shrugged as she picked up the book after all. "Or at least, the few times I have, I just ignored the feeling until it went away. Too inconvenient."</p><p>For a moment, Ruby paused again. "So, you've never been in a romantic relationship? Ever?"</p><p>"Not once." She continued tidying while speaking. "Oh, I tried meeting men in bars, things like that… and there was never a spark. Didn't lead anywhere. It was fairly frustrating until I just came to accept that if that ever does happen for me, it's not going to be because I went seeking it out."</p><p>Something about that made Ruby feel sad. More sad than she'd ever expected. Winter had so much experience, but never once had any of that been romantic - never had anyone to cuddle up to at night, or give her small kisses throughout the day. Never even something as small as silly text messages throughout the day just to let her know they were thinking of her. From the vague things she had found out through Yang, she knew Winter had a troubling past with men; but learning this, as well…</p><p>"I just gotta go get my phone to text her," she insisted, moving her clothes to the top of the bed for a moment, before going off to collect those she left in the bathroom.</p><p>"Alright," was all Winter said at first. When Ruby was in the bathroom, she called out, "Oh - if you were serious about staying, you can borrow some of my pyjamas."</p><p>It seemed to fall on deaf ears. Once she'd gone back to the bathroom, the took her phone from her pocket. Ten PM according to her phone's time, it still wasn't too late to get a taxi. Only just.</p><p>But instead, she wrote out a message: <em>Our playing got super cray</em><em> and I'm really tired so I'm gonna stay. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back, and if you wanna talk about things more, that's fine. Love you, sleep well xoxo</em></p><p>Once that was sorted, she collected her clothes up into her arms. If nobody had ever given Winter a romantic night, she was going to do it herself. There was no reason why she couldn't do it as a form of play, even if it would end up with sleep. That was allowed, right?</p><p>“Winter,” Ruby whispered to herself, flicking off the bathroom light, “prepare to be… romanticized!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>By the time Ruby returned to Winter’s bedroom, the cauldron and most of the other odds and ends were put back where they belonged, though the rest of the room still looked very "Hogwarts". That couldn't be helped; she probably had men roll out the false floor and move the bed on top of it. Also, the steamer trunk would take at least two people to heft.</p><p>"We could have a nightcap while we discuss the session," Winter said once she noticed Ruby standing there. "Also, you can choose the bed or the couch; I'm fine with either."</p><p>Picking up the remaining parts of the potion pack, Ruby placed them near the bedside table. That seemed like a good idea, taking time out and finishing the rest tomorrow. However, rather than make a decision, she looked toward Winter.</p><p>"Actually… What if we did something else? Like a second session?"</p><p>"What?!" Winter burst out, nearly dropping the satchel she had been moving over by the closet. "You just lost your virginity! I'm… a little surprised you'd want to go again!"</p><p>"Not exactly…" Making her way toward the bed, she sat on the bedside, elegantly crossing her legs. She still wasn't dressed, and was clearly making no effort to do so. That became a lot more obvious. "Like, not necessarily a <em>sex </em>session."</p><p>"Ah… wait, what are you talking about, then?" Winter seemed genuinely confused. "A training session, more like the first time? Or what?"</p><p>"I'm talking… about switching roles." Patting the space on the bed beside her the smile was beginning to become a little more mischievous. Especially so as she leant back. "Remember our first session, how it was like, first date fluffiness?"</p><p>Winter's brow was still furrowed, but she said, "Of course. Except that date slowly turned into you being Lady." Her lips quirked slightly as she set back to tidying. "Even <em>I </em>know that's not how most first dates usually go."</p><p>"Yeah, well…" She shook her head. "Okay, forget about that then! I mean… I wanna give you an experience of your own. A different kind of session, like a…" She swallowed. Again with the word. "A romantic one."</p><p>"What?" When she finished putting down the potions ingredients case by everything else, she stood ramrod straight. Then she slowly turned to look at Ruby. "You want to give… <em>me </em>one?"</p><p>Ruby nodded. Rather than patting the bed again, she instead pulled up the covers by her side, inviting her into the bed itself. Even without the pyjamas, both in the same bed… "Have you ever been spooned before?"</p><p><em>"What?"</em> Winter asked again. She really did seem to be having trouble processing what Ruby was offering, but she finally seemed to be moving past the initial confusion. "Oh… come on, I wasn't trying to get you to- Ruby, you don't have to do this. I'm fine with my life as it is, really. Happy, even! My relationship with Weiss is more secure than it ever was, and I have a good circle of friends, so… so you don't need to start worrying about me, alright?"</p><p>"I'm not," she insisted. Still not budging, still not moving, only continuing to hold the bedsheets open for her. "I'm seriously asking; A, have you been spooned before, and B, do you want a romantic session with me?"</p><p>Swallowing hard, Winter began to say something. Her lips parted, and she leaned forward, then stopped herself. With a shrug, she said, "No, I haven't. And… yes, I do." Hastily, she added, "If you really, <em>truly </em>want one with me. Otherwise, I'm not going to make you uncomfortable by accepting. I absolutely refuse to do that."</p><p>Immediately, Ruby rolled to one side to allow herself into the bed first, budging right over to one side under the covers and patting the large area between them. Leaning her head against her hand, she continued that smile back toward Winter. That enticing, genuine smile.</p><p>"You never made me uncomfortable, never guilted me into this," she reassured. "I wouldn't have offered if I felt either of those things. Seriously, I really want to do this for you."</p><p>"Oh. Well, I suppose… we could try it. For a bit." She took a step forward, then snorted and began taking off her shoes. "I'm not getting in wearing this getup, though. Firstly, because it would wrinkle, and my dry cleaner already questions my wardrobe choices often enough."</p><p>"Well duh." Ruby chuckled, waiting patiently as she got herself comfortable for a moment, laying her head against the pillow lazily. "What would your Ravenclaw character wear? Like, right after she's given Rose a wild night?"</p><p>Pursing her lips, she thought on that for a moment as she undid the dress shirt, loosened the necktie just enough to slide it over her head. "Well… probably something conservative. I sort of envisioned her as only really liking to torture 'Rose' because they have that kind of arrangement. Outside that, she's not too liberal with her body or sexuality."</p><p>"Okay…" Perhaps this was going to be more difficult than she thought. Not even Winter's 'sona' was into romance it seemed, or at least wasn't willing. But maybe that was because of how she saw Ruby's own persona in their play. The small, bumbling Hufflepuff of whom she could toy with however she wanted, a student that just liked disobeying the rules. Maybe that was what had to change.</p><p>"Then perhaps… after she's given Rose her lesson for the day," she began, still watching as Winter stripped, "she returns to her dorm, to… um, Red. A pretty ironically-named Ravenclaw she has a different kind of connection with? Or something?"</p><p>That made Winter grin from ear to ear as she finally discarded the shirt, revealing her bra. Next came the skirt, which she shucked as she answered, "I like where this is going; separate play, but equal. So how long have Winter and 'Red' been cuddle buddies? For the past two years, perhaps?"</p><p>"Oh, since they were third years. Maybe Winter's not as hard-as-nails as she acts, and got scared of a thunderstorm one year…" Ruby was having just as much fun making up their characters as their session had been. Even if it was just for the sake of play, it was a fun exercise - especially when Harry Potter was involved. "So Red just snuggled up to her one day, and it helped. So they kept doing it, and maybe they even kissed a little too, that kinda thing."</p><p>"I can see that. Very well, we might as well start the scene now, if it's going to be Winter coming back from that session with 'Rose'. If you're prepared to start, that is."</p><p>"Very well, then." She attempted herself to sound rather posh in that moment, grinning still at how easily Winter accepted things. But eventually, cleared her throat.</p><p>"Begin play."</p><p>Then her demeanour seemed to change. She still leant against the pillows in bed, only this time was rather eagerly rubbing the empty space by her side, trying to encourage her to take up the space. "You've been gone a while; I take it Rose enjoyed her session today?"</p><p>"She did," Winter sighed, a little more stiffly than before. "You know, I wasn't sure how she was going to take to ropes and tickling, but… she seemed really, <em>really </em>turned on by those developments. It was interesting."</p><p>"I see…" 'Red' smirked to herself, continuing to look to her partner with half closed eyes and a smirk. This was going to be a fun role to play, especially since it was going to be more dominating. An interesting switch. "Sounds intense! I bet you wore the poor girl out."</p><p>"Completely." Winter decided to let a little of reality slip into their fantasy, and she sighed. "Really wish I had known she was a virgin before tonight… I think that made for an unpleasant surprise for both of us."</p><p>"Oh?" Ruby was able to sense this. Even in the middle of 'play', she was using this as a way of venting how she felt about the whole thing. It wasn't as though things could be reversed, but at least she could also put her own thoughts across. Even as Red.</p><p>"I wouldn't say it's unpleasant," she began, finally moving her arm aside when it looked like Winter was going to come to bed. "Out of all the terrible Slytherins out there, she lost it to you; someone who will look after her and take care of her. I'd say she did well."</p><p>The blush that crept into Winter's cheeks was obviously real, but all she said was, "Th-that's a fair point, I suppose. And of course, I'm more than honoured to have been the one for her." Then she sighed as she sat down on the bed in front of Ruby, wearing only panties and socks - the latter of which she was removing. "She really seemed to like what I could do for her, though."</p><p>"Oh, I'm <em>sure </em>she did." The slight slip of character was of course her agreement, to show to her Dom that she had in fact enjoyed their session thoroughly. But still beginning their next one, she leant forward, looping her arms around Winter's waist as she sat up herself. "Just as I'm sure you'll enjoy what I can do for you."</p><p>"Hmm?" Looking over her shoulder, Winter blinked down at her for a moment before smiling. "Oh, I'm sure I will, Red. We've been doing this for long enough that I'm pretty certain I will."</p><p>"Good. Then get in here," she finally commanded, retracting her arms and getting herself right back to her position in the bed. It felt rather nice to be the one in control. There was a peculiar thrill about it, one she could get used to.</p><p>"Yes, ma'am," Winter breathed, easily falling into a submissive role and dipping her head slightly as she slipped into the covers, backing up against Ruby's front before she pulled them up higher.</p><p>Right away, the hands began to loop back around Winter again as she felt Ruby nestling into her back. With her smaller size, she found quite a simple spot; head leaning against her neck, legs tucking away just below hers. All the while, her hand started to very gently stroke her stomach. Just a small amount to comfort her in their time together. And Winter shivered. It was part of her character, to be sure, but also an involuntary reaction to the affectionate gestures. Her own hands fell to the backs of the arms in front of her, only touching them lightly so as not to stop them from progressing in whatever direction they may.</p><p>Nestling her head on Winter's shoulder as best she could, Ruby could be clearly felt smiling happily. One such smile that only brightened when she looked to the soft skin of her partner's neck. Deciding it would be in character, she leant in, pressing a kiss against it, before returning to her position.</p><p>"You're so soft."</p><p>"Thank you," she breathed shakily. This was getting a lot more intense a lot faster than she anticipated! "I… always think you're soft, Red."</p><p>Swallowing hard, she tried to back up a little further until she could feel shins underneath her heels. There was a rather pleasant feeling down below that Ruby approved of, even if nothing could really be done about it without another item. Ruby's crotch was pressed right in against Winter's petite behind. The soft cheeks were more than comfortable, but feeling them so close to her was enough to get her feeling in the mood again.</p><p>But not for her. Ruby was finished for the night. No… her feelings and desires were more to serve another. She had been so patient with her, giving her a fantastic orgasm. It felt fair to try and return the favour. Already, her hands were beginning to stroke slightly lower, and lower…</p><p>"Red?" Winter asked in a hushed tone, trying to look over her shoulder at the smaller girl. "What's… what are you doing?"</p><p>Returned only with a sly smirk, Red looked back up toward her as best she could. Her hands were continuing to make their journey downward, delicately stroking while they did so. "Tell me, did Rose return the favour? Pleasing you, I mean."</p><p>With a knowing smirk, she whispered, "Oh, of course not. After the paces I put her body through tonight? Nobody's <em>that </em>resilient that they could turn around and do it for someone else the same night."</p><p>"I dunno, I think she could have had it in her…" Ruby continued to tease, continued to pet. Right until she was toying with the waistband of Winter's underwear. "But either way… maybe I can provide that relief."</p><p>Shivering all the way down her spine, Winter curled her toes up against Ruby's shins. "O-ooh… maybe you can. Maybe I would like that."</p><p>"You would?" she asked, very slowly dipping her fingers into Winter's underwear. Just the fingertips at first… then more… "Because I'd very much like to. I do love hearing you squeal my name."</p><p>Ever the professional, Winter let out a shaky breath and whispered, "Red…"</p><p>Even if she was supposed to be the Dom in this scene, Ruby's cheeks lit up just as red as the word. She was glad that Winter was in front of her and couldn't see that shyness in her cheeks, couldn't see how it affected her. But she had a job to do. The hand went even lower into her underwear, fingers lightly scratching through the small patch of hair below. Winter always kept herself neat, and today was no exception.</p><p>"All short for me? You know how to lay out the welcome mat."</p><p>"Well," she panted shakily, "I… couldn't have you seeing me… messy." After a beat, she added, "Not unless it's a mess <em>you </em>made."</p><p>Purring in delight, Ruby nuzzled her face up against Winter's neck again. Giving a quick kiss to distract her, she pressed her fingers further down between the soft lips below. And for a moment, she let them linger there as she whispered softly, "Do you want me to make a mess?"</p><p>Winter's entire body seized, and she reached up to grasp Ruby's hands instinctively. It wasn't intended to stop her, but she wasn't used to being handled so gently and so confidently at the same time - especially not by a woman.</p><p>"I… I really do," she breathed.</p><p>Ruby could only smile to herself again. Winter wanted to try. It was something so unlike her normal experiences, something much softer and calmer and 'Red' certainly didn't want to disappoint. Leaning in, she allowed her lips to press repeatedly against Winter's cheek while she dipped her fingers further into the lips below. She was really touching Winter Schnee! This was <em>crazy!</em> Over and over they brushed up and down, collecting the moisture.</p><p>"Hhahhh," Winter breathed softly, beyond pleased with the efforts 'Red' had made thus far. "That's good… I l-like that…"</p><p>"You usually do." Ruby teased. Of course, it was all for her fake role of Red the Ravenclaw, a character or Ruby's design solely for the purpose of being with Winter. Or at least, Winter's role. She was determined to make it a deeply romantic experience for her, something unlike all of her sessions before.</p><p>To do that, she continued the movements of her hands, but pressed kisses further up, toward Winter's soft lips. And she accepted, wholeheartedly and immediately, leaning back to open her mouth very slightly as their lips began to knead against each other. How divine, how sweet! Of course, every time Ruby kissed her, she enjoyed it, but somehow their current play made it that much better, that much more thrilling and…</p><p><em>Romantic</em>. Why did Ruby suddenly feel the urge to start this play in the first place? Of course, Winter was enjoying herself immensely, but the question wouldn't disappear, no matter how much she enjoyed the sensations. Was this something she had wanted to explore with Winter for a while now? Or was it something Penny was unwilling to try, just as with the other sexual fantasies? Perhaps she would ask after it was done.</p><p>Smiling to herself, Ruby continued to kiss those soft tender lips of her partner. She could feel Winter's legs beginning to part just by her fingers, and it filled her with joy knowing she'd have more space to work with. And she'd do so. Now that her fingers were coated, she could quite easily push two inside, and slowly began to thrust. In and out, in unison with each of her kisses. Whatever she could do to help Winter feel what she had missed out on in all that time, she would do it.</p><p>Being entered was so thrilling that Winter's thighs parted immediately, letting the hand do its deed. Both fingers felt so good, so full and articulate inside of her body! Of course, they weren't going precisely where they should; Ruby's inexperience shone through, despite her confidence. To that end, she pulled back from the kiss just enough to tell 'Red', "Curl in a little more" under her breath.</p><p>She heard. Even now, Winter was guiding her through their play, despite being the “sub”. Ruby certainly didn't mind, and took the lesson in stride. Curling her fingers as asked, she was starting to feel just why as her fingers pressed against Winter's inner walls with each entry, pushing in and out over again against her.</p><p>Slowly but surely, the elder woman began to moan louder, with less reserve. It was good. <em>Very</em> good, enough to make her climax fairly soon if she kept it up. Of course, that was partly because of their earlier play having whet her appetite, but that didn't mean Ruby wasn't adapting to her new role quite smoothly.</p><p>"Yes, good," she cooed, continuing to push her fingers in and out slowly as she whispered toward her ear. "You love it, don't you? You like when I help you <em>unwind</em> after a hard day?"</p><p>Allowing her thumb to move forward, she attempted to stroke at the small nub at the top of her sex. It was something she hadn't tried before, but instinct told her it would be a good move. And jerky as the motions were, Winter groaned aloud from the contact, shivering all over and arching her back.</p><p>"Y-yes! Yes, I like it so much - you're so good to me, Red! How… can you know my body this well?!" Perhaps it was embellishment, or perhaps it was a true and honest question. There was no easy way of knowing.</p><p>"Because I want to satisfy my little Winter as much as I can," she whispered, pressing another kiss against her neck. "And I want her to make a mess for me."</p><p>With those last words, she plunged her fingers in as deep as she could, curling them right against where it always felt best on herself. She only hoped it would be enough to push Winter to that edge, and give her a most satisfying end.</p><p>"Nnhh! OH! Yes, right there, that's perfect!" Winter began to writhe against the contact, feeling the twin digits curling deep into her and prompting more pleasure than she could have expected. It was good - as good as she had from any of her other partners in sexual escapades. She found herself quite stunned that Ruby could learn all this, despite never having had an ongoing bedroom partner before.</p><p>"Goooood," Ruby cooed one more time. Continuing to curl against that spot over and over, she delivered kiss after kiss against her neck and cheek, lavishing her with love while trying to bring her to her end. To give the experience she was unsure Winter had ever had before, something new just for her.</p><p><em>Or you genuinely do like her.</em> The inner monologue was intruding once more; mocking and teasing. Maybe she really would have to discuss these things with Penny relatively soon, if this was going to become a common practice.</p><p>"Y-YES! Yes, harder, Rub- Red! <em>YeahhhhHHHH!!"</em></p><p>And with that, Winter felt herself losing control, finishing hard and strong. Her entire body was spasming back against Ruby's, toes curling and back arching, mouth hanging open as she gasped for air between loud moans and keenings. It was one of the better orgasms she had ever experienced – and all thanks to her youngest, most inexperienced sub.</p><p>Ruby could feel it against her fingers. She felt the muscles clamping down on her, trying to milk the fingers for all they had and to keep them against that sweet spot of hers. But also felt something else, something on the outside. Alas, Ruby wasn't the <em>only</em> one to squirt it seemed. Small splashes came from Winter herself against her hand. Not as much as Ruby did on her occasions, but still enough to have Ruby gasping in surprise as she tried to look down, and grinned.</p><p>"You really <em>did</em> make a mess, huh?"</p><p>"Y-yeah," Winter panted shakily, licking her dry lips as she slowly descended from the heights of pleasure. "I… did. Wasn't that… what you wanted?"</p><p>"It was," she reassured her, delivering another kiss to her cheek now that Winter had finished. She had done it! She had brought Winter to a powerful orgasm by herself, now with fingers rather than her tongue. And judging from Winter's squirting, it was a very intense one, indeed.</p><p>But their session wasn't over yet. In fact, that wasn't even the main event. Right after Ruby withdrew her hand from below to rub against the sheets to clean it, she wrapped her arms around Winter again. Continuing to spoon her even the finish, nuzzling in close.</p><p>That brought a light chuckle from Winter, and after a moment she laid a hand over one of Ruby's and whispered weakly, "You don't have to keep going if you don't want to. I'm… very satisfied with that scene."</p><p>But 'Red' only kissed her cheek again, gently rubbing her stomach in a comforting manner. "You might well be," she whispered into her ear, nuzzling against her. "But maybe I'm not yet."</p><p>That robbed Winter of the power of speech, and she tightened her grip on the hand. Did Ruby really mean to play this out, all the romantic bits after the fact? What did couples even <em>do </em>in bed before falling asleep? They talked. That was about the only thing she knew of, so she figured she might as well attempt it. "S-so… um, I was a little surprised at how much <em>Ruby </em>seemed to enjoy being tickled."</p><p>'Red' smiled to herself. It was still a review of their previous session, which they intended to do anyway. What did it matter if they were still in their roles? "She did, huh?" she asked, giving a small squeeze. "Well, as long as you don't tickle her too much; wouldn't want her to have an accident or something."</p><p>"Oh, but Ruby's a squirter, and so am I; a little variety in squirting wouldn't bother me. But you're right, everything in moderation." Biting her lip for a moment, she then added, "You should have seen her squirming… I think you'd have liked that, Red."</p><p>"Watching her? Or being tickled?" She giggled to herself again, nuzzling against Winter even further again, pressing her cheek flat against whatever skin she could. Nothing could distract her from this moment, or dampen their spirits. Not even when she could faintly hear the vibration of her phone in her pocket…</p><p>"Perhaps you could remove a memory for me to watch in a Pensieve. That would be fun."</p><p>"Yes, perhaps I could." In an undertone, Winter whispered, "Wish I knew what that was." Then she cleared her throat and went on, "But I did mean watching her be tickled; I know you like to be in control."</p><p>"I more enjoy watching you be happy," she reassured with yet another kiss against the skin, slowly rubbing her hand even still in a calming manner. Now it was more to lull her to sleep than to arouse. That was the intent at least. "But watching you be in charge is fun, too."</p><p>The motion was having the intended effect, soothing Winter somewhat. But she was still nervous about this type of play; she had done a few scenes like it before, but not with anyone she cared about as deeply as Ruby. "She also really seemed to like those ropes. A bit chafed, but fun for her."</p><p>"You really like tying people up, don't you?" Ruby began to tease, but gave a quick nuzzle against her cheek when she didn't respond right away. "Lemme guess, you stunned her first, then did it?"</p><p>That earned her an affronted gasp, followed by, "I w-would never! Well… not unless she asked. Then, maybe, I suppose."</p><p>"You totally did, didn't you?!" she continued to tease, giving a light squeeze yet again as she laughed quietly. "I love that with everyone else, you're this fierce dominatrix, but here you're just a softie."</p><p>"I'm not a softie," Winter protested. It wasn't a very strong protestation, but she tried anyway.</p><p>Pressing herself in close for one final time, Ruby laid in silence for a moment. Mostly due to how tired she was after the earlier events that was finally catching up to her, but also because there wasn't much to say. Their scene was close to an end. "So are," she just insisted, beginning to close her eyes. "But that's why I like you."</p><p>There was a grumbled "fine," and Winter settled down. It was a few minutes later when she whispered, "Ruby?"</p><p>Barely awake anymore, Ruby didn't even open her eyes again when she whispered, "Yeah?"</p><p>"Do you…" What was she going to ask? Did she have any right to ask? Might as well, considering how they were tangled up with each other, about to fall asleep. "Do you really like me?"</p><p>There were both advantages and disadvantages of Ruby being half asleep in that moment. It meant she wouldn't be lying, for one. Anything that would come from her mouth would be the honest-to-God truth. However, she probably wouldn't be awake long enough to have a follow up response.</p><p>"I think…" Before she faded to sleep fully, she whispered, "I think I do…"</p><p>For the same reason, Winter only had a few seconds to smile to herself contentedly. She was determined not to take that as anything more than it was: just a mention from a friend and sub that she didn't <em>dislike </em>her, at least. Though it could easily mean more. Either way, it was more than she got from most people.</p><p>“Okay. Goodnight, Red.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Another few weeks passed. In that time, there had been more visits to Winter. More sessions of different natures between one another, some that resulted in her sleeping over yet again. They were both pleased with her progress, but there was one lingering worry that Ruby had.</p><p>Penny. Her girlfriend wasn't all too pleased about Ruby sleeping over as she first said, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. Since then, they had never talked about it – or Penny had been actively avoiding the conversation. So much to the point that she went back home to her fathers’ for a few weeks. Although she had insisted it was a general visit, the darker-haired girl couldn't help but think it was all down to her actions and sessions with Winter.</p><p>Today, that was going to change. Like it or not, Ruby knew she had to tell Penny the truth about her feelings. That they had grown – she did like Winter, the feelings were more than just those of a Dom/sub relationship. No matter the consequence, Penny deserved the truth. And as she stood in the airport carpark awaiting her return, she was growing more and more nervous.</p><p>That was, until she spotted her, and held a cardboard sign she had made up high for her to see. Though Penny had mostly looked tired, when she saw the sign her face lit up and she stifled a laugh behind her hand. Speeding up very slightly, she walked up to the car, wheeling her luggage behind her.</p><p>"You're a dork, you know that?" Penny called out when she was close enough to be heard easily.</p><p>Smiling back warmly, Ruby lowered the sign once she was close enough and embraced her in a warm hug. "I missed you," she whispered into her ear, only letting her go once she'd placed a kiss on her cheek. The ginger leaned into the lips for a second, then pulled back with a placid smile.</p><p>"Missed you, too. Help me get these in?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot." Quickly taking the case from her hand, Ruby made quick work of sliding it into the trunk of the car. Thankfully she'd already lowered the rear seats so there was plenty of room. Once that was done, she held the door open for her partner, before getting in the other side.</p><p>But before starting the ignition, she asked, "So, how were they?"</p><p>“Dad and Father? Very well, thank you for asking.” And that was all she said. Her expression was just as pleasant as before, but she seemed to see no need to elaborate.</p><p>"Good… That's good." When realising there was nothing more she was going to say, Ruby started up the car. So things were going to be awkward right from the start, it seemed. Nothing more was said while Ruby concentrated on leaving the parking lot, or when she began the journey home.</p><p>Fifteen minutes into their drive down the highway, Ruby had only just plucked up the courage to speak again. "Sooooo… I'm thinking McDonald's for dinner, maybe? There's one on the way, I think…"</p><p>"I would prefer Wendy's," Penny remarked easily. "But if there's something you want more at McDonald's, that's fine." Glancing over, she added, "Don't you love their nuggets?"</p><p>"Nuggets are more Yang's thing. I prefer chicken sandwiches myself. So, sure, we can do Wendy's!"</p><p>Continuing to drive a little longer, she looked back and forth between the road and Penny yet again. She didn't seem upset or angry at all, and yet, she still wasn't talking. There was nothing for her to work with. Eventually, she hunched her shoulders and asked the hard question.</p><p>"Are… you mad at me?"</p><p>"For eating chicken?" she laughed softly. "I'm not <em>that </em>vegetarian. I just like Wendy's salads better, that's all."</p><p>"No, not… argh, I'm sorry." They'd fallen back into silence yet again. Guilt had continued to gnaw at the redhead once again as she turned her focus back to the road for that bit longer. But upon spotting a Wendy's, she quickly pulled in. Except rather than going straight into the drive through, she parked at the rear of the parking lot. It wasn't until she turned off the ignition and put on the handbrake until her intentions became clear.</p><p>"I've been a jerk…"</p><p>Penny hesitated before answering, keeping both her face and her voice carefully neutral. "How so?"</p><p>"For letting this hurt you." Running a hand through her hair, Ruby stared blankly toward the wheel. This had clearly been on her mind for a long time, playing on her thoughts. She looked so <em>guilty</em>. "You asked me to come home that night, and I didn't. Dumb! I should have made sure I did, put you first instead of… my stupid fun-time."</p><p>Penny remained focused on the first part of what she said. "Ruby, I told you I didn't mind, and I meant it. When you mentioned it might run late… I mean, it made perfect sense. Yes, I would rather you have come home, but it's not a big deal if you can't one night."</p><p>"But that's just it. I-I… I could have. We finished up just before ten, plenty of time for me to get an uber back home." She rubbed her eyes, stopping a few of the stray tears that were beginning to form. "But I just… I didn't. Like, it’s going to sound like a bunch of crummy excuses… but I couldn't leave just yet."</p><p>"Oh…" Looking away at last, she seemed to think upon that for a while. "Then… what happened? If you're comfortable telling me."</p><p>Ruby only continued to look downward, continued to sniff sadly. The guilt never left, in fact it was only getting worse. "I'm a bad person," she whimpered. "I love you, and that hasn't changed. It'll never change. But I… I’m starting to like her, too. In the same way. Nothing makes sense, I already have you, we’re a team; why am I feeling this way for someone else? It just feels like I'm turning bad!"</p><p>It took Penny a long time to answer. Her green eyes bored into the dashboard console in front of her. When she did speak again, she began very simply, in that same neutral tone she seemed to have mastered.</p><p>"Don't think about me for a second. Please, I want you to try to forget I exist. Then I want you to tell me how you feel about Winter; just be very honest."</p><p>"But I <em>can't </em>forget you exist." The words were barely audible anymore. Just a high pitched mess from where she was about to cry. With another sniff, she tried to calm herself back down, taking a few shaky breaths. "I can't. I love you more than anything… But then I'm finding myself liking her in the same way, and I feel so guilty, like I'm cheating on you. And I don't want to do that!"</p><p>"The same way," Penny breathed, latching onto the one comment that had been a response to what she asked of her partner. A few more seconds went by with Penny taking a deep breath, gripping her knees.</p><p>"I know."</p><p>It seemed to take a while for Ruby to realise what Penny had said. She sniffled, looking toward her partner. "You… know?"</p><p>"Yes. I've been able to see the way you are when you talk about her, how you get so excited and happy. It's the way you talk about me, or used to talk about Weiss before your sister became her girlfriend." The words were melancholy, but not overly sad. "It's been getting more and more obvious, I just didn't want to bring it up. You seemed like you were struggling with enough."</p><p>Blinking back a few more tears, Ruby sniffed yet again. Struggling was certainly one way of putting it, she thought to herself. She tried to look into Penny's eyes a moment, before having to look away again. She couldn't bear it.</p><p>"I still talk about you in that way…" She made sure that was clear, reaching out and taking her hand. "I still love you, that hasn’t changed and never will change. I need you to know that. I need you to believe me!"</p><p>"Oh, Ruby… I do." Penny reached up to cup her cheek. Her expression wasn't as pleasant, or as glowing as it would have been before their situation changed somewhat. But it wasn't harsh, wasn't disapproving or sad. Just contemplative. "I told you before, I don't own you, and I don't want to try. If you feel a connection to Winter… even if it's just because she can provide you with certain things I can't, then that's okay! I'll adjust."</p><p>Leaning into the hand on her cheek, Ruby nodded. There was a wave of relief over her features, and she found herself managing to force a little smile. Penny didn't hate her, that was what was important.</p><p>"I just worry that you'll think I'm ditching you," she whimpered, holding the hand on her cheek instead. "Because that's not true, no way! <em>You're</em> my priority. I might feel this way about Winter, too, but if you want it to stop, it will. In a heartbeat."</p><p>"Why would I want it to stop? I've noticed you seeming happier and more complete ever since you started meeting with her. It would be selfish of me to take that away from you just because…" She sighed, forcing herself to finish her thought. "Because I don't understand. And I probably never will; I'm just not wired the way you and she are. But I can see you haven't stopped loving me, and that's enough to soothe my fears."</p><p>Unable to help herself, Ruby flung herself forward and pressed her lips right up against her partner's, kissing her deeply and with more passion than she ever had before. Any way to dispel away the sadness she had been holding back for so long, to keep remind her that Penny loved her. Once finished, she rested her forehead against Penny's, shakily sighing.</p><p>"I'm so glad… you have no idea. <em>So </em>glad you still know that."</p><p>"Of course, my little Rubáiyát," Penny whispered, kissing her back just as strongly.</p><p>That was a private joke between them; they had been studying Middle Eastern culture, and the minute she came across 'The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám', it had stuck fast. Still giggling to herself, Ruby placed a few more kisses at her lips again. She couldn't stop! It had taken a few weeks of Penny being away for her to realise how much she truly did miss her company. That was something Winter couldn't quite make up for herself. At least not yet.</p><p>And Penny was most certainly intent on returning that attention, sliding her arms around her love's shoulders and pulling her in even closer. It seemed the distance wasn't only affecting Ruby; even if it wasn't sexual, she had an aching need to be close to her girlfriend after those weeks in New York.</p><p>All the while, Ruby continued to grin. It was rare Penny was in the mood for anything all too intimate, but whenever it appeared, she would leap at the chance whenever it was. And here was no exception, even if she thought it would only last a few minutes. Testing the waters, she allowed her mouth to hang open a little longer than usual, giving Penny the chance to take advantage, should she want to.</p><p>As it turned out, Penny did. There was a brief hesitation before the ginger seemed to come to a decision, and then she leaned in and slid her tongue in past Ruby's lips, shivering at how they felt against each other. They both knew by now that Penny had very mixed feelings about that kind of kissing, because she both enjoyed the feeling and was disgusted by the "swapping of germs," as she usually referred to the practice.</p><p><em>Ooooohhh, she's in the mood.</em> This wasn't a moment Ruby Rose wanted to ruin! Turning to face her properly as best as the car seats allowed, she rested her hands on Penny's waist, smiling to herself each time their tongues brushed against each other. It truly was worth the wait to have her back in her arms. <em>Her</em> Penny.</p><p>Instead of tapping Ruby on the shoulder to stop, or pulling away as she might have normally done, all she did was press in more, moving her mouth and tongue faster, more hungrily. Her own hands gouged in harder against Ruby through her clothes, not wanting to let her go for even an instant.</p><p><em>Holy shiz, she really IS in the mood!</em> She could barely believe what was happening. This really was a once in a blue moon instance. Not that she minded; any time spent with her girlfriend was important, whether it was sexual or not. These rare moments simply made her appreciate them all the more when they did appear.</p><p>Another thought occurred to her: <em>But wait, what if she's only doing it because she's hurt?</em> Of course, her own mind had to bring that up. How typical. Still… it was possibly true. No matter how much she wanted intimacy from Penny, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it if it was only borne of jealousy. With that thought in mind, she broke away for a moment, catching her breath as she rested her forehead against her lover's.</p><p>"You don't have to if you don't want to," she reassured. "I only want this if you do. For real, not just cuz you think you have to."</p><p>"I do want it." Penny was adamant, staring deep into her eyes. "I know I don't enjoy what you try doing for me in bed, and that I'm so squeamish that it's difficult for us to find common ground as far as pleasuring you. But it's been so long, I've missed you so much…"</p><p>Suddenly, a stray hand was slipping down between Ruby's thighs. "I want to be with you right now. I want to make my Rubáiyát happy, from nose to toes."</p><p>So quick, so bold… Penny really must have missed Ruby to be this ready. It really wasn't a chance to ignore, even if they were in the middle of a parking lot. <em>Well, technically we're at the back of the lot…</em> The more Ruby thought about it, the more tempted she was by the idea. <em>And if you change a few things, no one will see… </em>Biting her lip, she looked back toward Penny with a mischievous expression.</p><p>"Well, if you're completely sure…" She instead reached for a button at the side of her seat to adjust the back, lowering it to its lowest point.</p><p>"Oh!" Penny gasped in mild surprise, then smiling down at Ruby, cheeks slightly warm. "Y-you want us to do things right now, in public? That's… most unusual."</p><p>"Well, I thought…" Quickly sitting up to check the coast was clear, Ruby then returned to the position back in the chair, looking up toward Penny with equally red cheeks. "There's no one here… and it's not like the time we both did stuff while Pyrrha and Jaune were asleep while we slept on their floor…"</p><p>Laughing at the memory, Penny began to rub the outsides of Ruby's thighs now, teasing very lightly, preparing her for more. "We were so inquisitive then. I still didn't know I don't enjoy that, and you didn't know how to please a vagina, anyway – yours <em>or </em>mine."</p><p>"I tried my best…" Ruby looked down to one side out of embarrassment. Or at least, it seemed that way. A more likely cause for her red cheeks was probably the woman's hands all over her legs, rubbing, teasing away at her. This would be an awkward position with only one seat lowered, but she had no doubt Penny would manage. That was unless… The seats in the back were completely down. The only possible barrier was Penny's case, but there was more than enough space. Looking back with mischievous eyes again, she asked, "Here or the back?"</p><p>"Right here is fine with me if it's fine with you." One hand drifted inward again, sliding between the soft, squishy thigh-flesh. That, she thought, was beautiful. As she had explained before, it was only such bodily fluids as saliva that she found offensive; the skin all over Ruby's body was one of her favourite things in the universe.</p><p>With a light nod, Ruby grinned to herself as she watched Penny's movements. She was always so soft with her, so soft and gentle. Ruby was fairly sure that Penny would worship her body should she allow it, from how well she was treated all over. Allowing her legs to part even further, she rested her hands on Penny's shoulders, using it to anchor herself for what was to come.</p><p>As the hand drifted closer and closer to her center, its owner whispered, "Now don't forget, you have to help guide me. This isn't my field of expertise."</p><p>"You've been pretty good the times you tried it out." She smiled back at her, parting her legs even further to give Penny the advantage she needed. How glad she was that she decided to wear a shorter skirt today! It meant all Penny needed to do was move the panties to one side and have at it in whatever manner she wanted.</p><p>"We are technically out in public," Penny whispered needlessly. "Is it okay if I move a little faster?"</p><p>Which happened immediately. Though Penny only began to trace her fingers up and down her soft folds, there was no hesitation, no teasing her through the underwear this time; straight through the side of it and to the intended goal.</p><p>"O-oh! S-slow down a little… Don't go in for the kill just yet." As eager as Ruby was to begin, she knew too well that rushing would only ruin their moment together. She needed time to be ready, for her body to catch up. But Penny rubbing up and down the length of her was doing just that… "Yeah… that's it," she encouraged, sinking further back into the seat the more Penny rubbed at her folds.</p><p>Penny swallowed hard as the musky scent of arousal began to fill the air around her. It wasn't that the scent was appealing or unappealing; it was part of Ruby, and for that reason, she was fond of it. But only that reason.</p><p>"It's so good to smell this again," she said very bluntly, dipping her head lower as she pet along her lover's sex, slowly making it damp with her attentions. "It's been too long."</p><p>One of Ruby’s hands ended up at the back of her lover's neck, encouraging the actions below so eagerly. "Penny…" she whispered, hungry for more, hungry for her partner. They had barely even begun just yet!</p><p>And it seemed that today, Penny was more insatiable than usual. She always loved kissing Ruby's body, and this was no exception; even as she continued to tease, getting her ready, her lips pressed into the soft flesh of her thigh, delighting in the smooth, cool feeling. For her, this was pleasurable… this was what made her feel the excitement that Ruby felt from sexual escapades. Closeness, intimacy.</p><p>A few kisses later, and Ruby was starting to notice just where she was heading. And that was certainly a shock for her, given how her legs began to twitch again. "Penny!" she gasped, placing a hand on the back of her head, just enough to get her attention. "Are you sure? I mean, you know what sometimes happens."</p><p>"I have some moist towelettes in my bag from the plane," Penny told her in a reasonable tone, without slowing down much to do so. "If it's more than those can handle, Wendy's has a bathroom, don't they?"</p><p>"Well, yeah…" But Penny wasn't stopping. She was determined to see this through, it seemed, no matter what happened in the end result. Ruby's only hope was that this would be one of the few times it wouldn't be required, and they could just enjoy their time. With a brief nod, she allowed her hand to sink back into Penny's hair, lightly petting her. "Okay… Go for it."</p><p>"You got it." With a serene smile, she pushed her head a little further up her skirt, kissing her labia. It was a marked improvement from their other attempts; she only shivered slightly, instead of drawing away and needing a moment to recover.</p><p>Already Ruby was beginning to shudder herself. They were really doing this, after such a long time. And in a Wendy's parking lot, as well! But she wasn't about to complain at all. If her Penny was feeling up to it, they she was willing to let it continue, even if it meant their escapades were mainly in risky areas at risky hours. Lightly stroking her scalp all the more, Ruby tried to quell the few quiet moans by biting her lip, shifting in her seat slightly to find a better angle.</p><p>"Have I told you lately," Penny whispered against her soft wetness between kisses, "how much I adore every part of you, Ruby?" The hands began to slide up and down her thighs again, now that the mouth had taken control of her pleasure. "So much…"</p><p>Shakily sighing, Ruby found her head swinging back, staring upward toward the ceiling of the car interior in some sort of hope to keep her grounded. Even if they weren’t the most sensual of words, hearing them from Penny's mouth was all she could ever dream of. Scratching at her scalp still, she nodded slightly to show she heard her.</p><p>"Okay…" Two fingers slid up to push back the hood over the sensitive nub of her partner. "This is the most sensitive part, right? Do you… want me to touch it, or not?"</p><p>"Hnn…" She could barely think. What did she want while Penny was down there? She could ask her to do what she usually did, rubbing it to get a reaction; or try something new. That option seemed exciting enough. "Your tongue… If you're up for it."</p><p>"Oh…" Penny glanced up at Ruby's panting form, then back down at the glistening sex waiting for her to explore. After a few seconds of indecision, she tentatively stuck her tongue out, pressing the tip against the little nub. The tongue began to flutter up and down over the swollen little nub, drawing in vestiges of sweet nectar in the process. Of course, it wasn't quite so sweet to Penny as it would have been to most women-loving-women, but that didn't mean she couldn't handle the taste if it was to please her favourite person in the whole world.</p><p>"Is this good?" she breathed against the moistened lips a minute later.</p><p>"Y-yeah!" Not that she could explain it, but Penny's actions had her weak at the knees. Just like always. In their rare moments together, Ruby always favoured her lover to her own hand. It didn't matter if it was Penny's skill or because it was her delivering it – Penny always managed to have her moaning, which she did so rather loudly.</p><p>Hearing that Ruby was responding well, she began to stroke up and down the folds again as her tongue took care of things up at the top. She knew from explanations and previous encounters that stimulating both was even more erotic to her partner than just one or the other. And the moans kept on coming! Now growing louder in volume, her partner couldn't help but squirm in her seat that bit more, trying to hitch herself closer to the assaulting tongue. Already she could feel herself beginning to grow warm, begin to feel a few beads of sweat falling down her cheeks as her spare hand went to hit the window, finding anything to ground herself.</p><p>The way Ruby was trembling told Penny that she was definitely getting somewhere, and relatively quickly. Deciding not to take her chances guessing at things, she drew back as her fingers continued to glide up and down and whispered to her love, softly and as sensually as she could manage. "Do you want my fingers inside?"</p><p>"Yes! Holy SHIZ, yes!" she moaned back. In all honesty, her mind was so clouded with pleasure she barely knew what was said; she only knew she needed Penny's mouth back where it was, back to performing its magic on her body.</p><p>"Okay," she breathed against her soft wetness before wrapping her lips around the throbbing clit once more, her fingers just beginning to edge past the boundaries of her body. Only the certain knowledge that Ruby wanted them there kept her from worrying about hurting her, or that they were doing something they shouldn't be.</p><p>"Oh!!! O-OH! Penny!" <em>Fantastic!</em> That was all she could think as she felt Penny's digits push their way into her body. Over and over again they ground against her inner walls, teasing her flesh and sending tingles of joy through her body. Yet again, she felt herself growing warmer, felt her end beginning to come in sight.</p><p>Then, just when Penny's hand was speeding up, aiming to bring her off in record time and with record levels of ecstasy… there was a knock on the window.</p><p>
  <em>"H-HAAAH?!"</em>
</p><p>Both the shock of the sudden interruption and the increasing speed of Penny's fingers was enough to have Ruby jolting upright, and pleasure spurring through her body. She climaxed, able to feel her muscles clamping down onto Penny's finger for that short moment they were in there. Thankfully for her, it wasn't enough to get her usual, messy reaction; but enough to give clear evidence she was finished.</p><p>And then she looked toward the source of the noise, and her heart stopped.</p><p>"Can't do that out in public like that, kids!" said a large man in a blue uniform, complete with mirrored sunglasses. A <em>cop</em>. They were sitting there in their car, giving Ruby an orgasm, and being glared at by a police officer.</p><p>It was both embarrassment and the heat from her dwindling orgasm that made Ruby Rose's face go entirely red. Still panting heavily, she looked back at the cop with wide eyes for a moment, before very hurriedly patting the pack of Penny's head to get her to move, and withdraw her fingers.</p><p>"I-I'm so sorry!" She barely had the breath to speak! Let alone string an excuse together.</p><p>The policeman had been pulling out his ticket pad, clearly intending to cite them for something minor as a reminder not to do such things again – until he noticed Penny's moist face, her nervousness and shame at having been caught. His brown features seemed to lighten a shade. Blinking, he glanced between the two of them, obviously uncomfortable.</p><p>"R-right. I'll, uh, let you… <em>girls </em>off with a warning, this time, I guess. Just, uh… just try to find more privacy in the future." Then he nodded to himself, cleared his throat, and turned to go back to his squad car.</p><p>"I-I… Uh, w-we will… T-thank you, officer!" was all Ruby could shout as she watched him walk away – not that it would likely be heard. He was already gone by the time she called up properly. Soon after she took a moment to regain her breath again, before slowly covering her mouth. They'd just done things <em>in public.</em> Got caught, by a cop of all people! They'd managed to escape a ticket by a fraction, something they probably wouldn't be able to do again.</p><p>And yet all Ruby seemed to be able to do was begin to giggle to herself, until it turned into an outright laugh. "I can't believe we did that!"</p><p>"I can't believe being in a lesbian relationship actually has a <em>benefit,</em>" Penny was breathing, eyes still on the officer as she eased back into her own seat. "Did you see his face? He looked as if he was going to faint, interrupting two women!"</p><p>"I know! Holy Toledo, that was so lucky…" Ruby quickly glanced out the window to continue to watch as he returned to his car, before looking back to Penny again. Her cheeks were still red as anything, but she didn't care; she was still laughing and giggling away to herself. "No one will ever believe this!"</p><p>"They won't!" A mischievous glint crept into Penny's eyes. "Did you want to take a selfie of us with the cop car in the background, as proof, perhaps?"</p><p>"Oh my god…" Ruby was still wearing that ridiculous grin, clearly assuming Penny was joking about such a thing. But when noticing her expression remained unchanged, she looked toward her, and then smirked. "You know what? I'm always wanting to find stuff to post to Snapchat…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: kink club, petplay, exhibitionism, nyotaimori, hot tub, anal fingering, anal plug, safeword use, fantasizing, fingering, female ejaculation.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 5</b>
</p><p>"And <em>that </em>is why there was a Snap in my story of a very flustered me with a cop car in the background."</p><p>Ruby had just been telling Winter the tale of the unfortunate interruption in her last venture with Penny on their way to the club, from start to finish. For a few days, Winter had been eager to find out just what it was all about, but Ruby insisted on keeping the story secret until they next met up at The Clamp. With Ruby's agreement, she set up for a session in public on the upper floor, a scene in public viewing. They opted for her comfort zone, petplay, and nothing all too extreme. Either way, it was a good stepping stone to become more confident in sessions, as they both thought.</p><p>And a great way to pick up tips by watching others. Looking around on the ground floor while everyone had their drinks, she was somewhat pleased with the atmosphere again. She never got to truly appreciate it last time, once her uncle had ruined the memory.</p><p>"Ahhh," Winter chuckled as they strode past the relatively mundane surroundings of the downstairs bar. "That's good to hear, though; given what you've told me about Penny, I'm glad she's pushing outside her comfort zone. Even if she decides at the end of this that she's still asexual."</p><p>"Well, even if it’s not gonna be a regular thing, I'm happy. When it happens, she's <em>really </em>good."</p><p>As they approached the stairwell toward the back, Ruby was beginning to grow nervous. Yet again, she would be back among all the strange and wonderful scenes happening above; the various kink plays and displays out for public to see. Who knew what she was going to find – and what she would <em>be, </em>for that matter?</p><p>Except that Winter did know what she would be. They both did.</p><p>"Glad to hear it. Now, just a reminder… once we enter pass through the door at the top of these stairs, only our safe word will stop me from treating you as Lady. Otherwise, you're my bitch and that's that. Anyone else is entitled to treat you however they want, and you have to respond to them; it's my duty as your owner to keep them from going too far. However, if I can't get to you and they make you feel too unsafe, the universal safe word for the club is 'Red Light' - which you will use in <em>emergencies only.</em> Is that clear?"</p><p>"Okay… 'Strawberry' to stop Lady, 'Red Light' to stop everything else; got it. So… I just drop the coat and get started?"</p><p>Tonight, Ruby had been wearing her attire all along underneath a long, baggy coat. It was at Winter's request before they attended, to make for a quick entrance in their play and for ease when she was to get out. But up until that point, she hadn't revealed it to Winter just yet.</p><p>"You do. We have to sign in, of course." She looked toward the woman, clad in both dark skin and dark smile, sitting behind the desk. "Princess and Lady."</p><p>"Very good; I thought we might not see the little one again. She seemed pretty unsure of herself the last time she was here." The smile might have been dark, but it wasn't malicious or mocking. "And do you need to use our coat check for that?"</p><p>"U-um… I'm in <em>the gear </em>under this. D-do I need to be upstairs first?" Clearly, she was nervous. Even with the woman's nod of reassurance, it took her swallowing and taking a few breaths in before she finally took of the coat.</p><p>And revealed the brand new outfit Winter had got for her. Unlike the old one, this suit was made from better quality material, that felt softer and more natural to the touch; comfortable. Its colour matched that of her hair, with the occasional red striping just like her streaks. But there was another feature that no doubt would have a use later: between the legs, hidden within the fur, was a long zipper that went from below Ruby's belly right to the top of her rear the other side.</p><p>"Very nice," the bouncer-slash-registrar observed with a nod of approval. "If you were in character already, I'd pet you myself. And I'll take your coats."</p><p>"My Lady's a good girl," Winter said softly as they passed the coat over, a gentle smile on her mouth as she began to remove her own. Winter was decked out in harsher Dom gear this time, complete with dulled metal spikes, shining black leather everywhere, buckles and studs and metal loops, and just enough cleavage so that it couldn't be ignored entirely. She was also wearing stiletto-heeled, open-toed boots that stretched all the way up to mid-thigh, and leather gloves that came up to mid-bicep with the index fingers cut out, so that they vaguely matched the boots after a fashion. The glimpses of flesh were milky-white and inviting, even if in small quantities. The look was completed by silver earrings, bracelets, and a ring with a small diamond in it on the exposed right finger.</p><p>"So, how does it start this time? Usually you just say 'begin play'." Ruby slid the last detail she had pulled from her pocket around her neck: a black leather collar made to fit her measurements, a silvery tag dangling from it – with the name “Lady” embedded in it with tiny diamonds, sparkling like stardust. Attached to that, a long chain lead with a leather strap on the end of it for Winter to hold.</p><p>"Not necessary," Winter said as she took the leash in her grip. "This time, it's walking in the door that begins play. Though I will want you down on all fours before we go through it, to make for a seamless beginning to the scene. Knee pads on? Oh, and… don't forget your shoes."</p><p>"Right… 'Shoes'." But these 'shoes' weren't to wear on her feet. Winter had again provided a pair of gloves for the evening. Padded mittens that matched the outfit, with no thumbs or anything to help hold items. Once they were on, she would be completely helpless to do nothing but obey each command. If she needed something pictured up, she would do it with her mouth. Sliding the knee pads on and the gloves later, she assumed the position on all fours, sitting as politely as possible next to Winter as she waited for her commands.</p><p>"Silly pup," Winter laughed as she knelt down. "I actually did mean 'shoes'; I was going to put the gloves on for you." With a quick flick, she took off Ruby's simple boat shoes, revealing toe socks that matched the patterns on the gloves.</p><p>"Oh… Heh, sorry." Ruby couldn't help but wriggle her toes once they were free; both to enjoy the freedom from the shoes, and for a small show for Winter. On cue, the Dom cleared her throat and stood up to avoid bothering about that subject at present.</p><p>"R-right," she sighed, shouldering the small leather backpack that had their additional supplies. "I care about you very much as a person; I want you to remember that before we go up these stairs and I start treating you like a mutt."</p><p>"Okay, right… but…" As Winter laid her hand on the door handle, about to open it, Ruby piped up just before she could go out, still sat patiently. "Is it okay if, like, once we have a room to ourselves, if I mess up… you forgive me?"</p><p>That caused Winter to turn and kneel down by her side, cupping her face in the hand not holding her leash. "No, I'm afraid not; unless you use the safe word, we won't be ending the scene until we come back down here. I will scold you if ‘Lady’ needs scolding. But keep in mind, if you do start to feel like you can't continue, we can end the scene. I want you to really get the full experience, fully-committed petplay, but not so much that you feel tortured. Let me know you need a break, and we'll either go upstairs to the private rooms, or to the recovery lounge in the basement." Then she kissed her forehead. "And either way, I'm definitely not going to hold a few mistakes against you once play has ended."</p><p>Unable to help herself, Ruby leant forward into the kiss, smiling contentedly. That was a relief, that Winter cared enough to let her know how intense the session would be before it went on, and how deep they were diving. It was going to be her first real session.</p><p>And the first taste of what it would be like with another Dom. As much as Ruby didn't want to, that was a step she was thinking of taking as of late; moving on to someone else in order to disregard her romantic feelings for Winter. It would be far easier than telling her the truth, especially when there would be so many consequences or ways it would make their arrangement weird. Just because Penny had given her the green light to date two women didn’t mean she was <em>sure</em><span> it was the best option; she owed it to herself and to Penny to explore all others before making a decision.</span></p><p>"Okay," Winter breathed, straightening again. "Are you ready to go into 'Lady mode'?"</p><p>Rather than answer, she returned her paws to the ground, and instead looked up with her tongue out, imitating a pant. "Arf!"</p><p>"Good girl," she whispered. Then, without further ado, she pushed the door open.</p><p>The scene room was just as varied and enticing as the last time Ruby had been there. So many things to see! Immediately noticeable was a tan-skinned woman with a blonde ponytail laid out on a table in the center of a room with a multitude of types of sushi arranged artfully all over her nude body, lying perfectly still so as not to disturb a single one. Even as they walked in, a man wearing very sparse leather straps was taking a piece, talking briefly to the girl before popping it in his mouth.</p><p>Ruby couldn't explore these many sights as herself; she had to do it as Lady, a dog. If she wanted to walk over to the various scenes, she would have to pull in that that direction and wait until Winter headed there first. Sniffing at the air, she played into the roll straight away, crawling forward toward the tanned woman, like a dog begging for food.</p><p>"Lady, behave," Winter warned, not yanking the leash but simply holding it fast when Ruby pulled against it. "Do you want to see the sushi woman? Do you, girl?" She was certainly curious of it, and knew too well that dogs went straight for food. Nodding, she yipped yet again. Winter couldn't help but smile. She was doing so well! "Alright, alright, let's go."</p><p>Following along, holding the leash just taut enough that Ruby couldn't dash ahead, she approached. "Do you mind if Lady has one?" she asked the woman.</p><p>"Not at all! Take one from my shoulders. They're, uh, about to fall off." It seemed this was probably her first session as well, given how nervous she was, even if she looked like a strong woman. She just managed to look down toward Ruby, who was sniffing around that area, and gave another smile. "Cute suit she's wearing!"</p><p>"Lady, down!" Winter hissed, tugging the leash. She never pulled too harshly, much less jerked the chain; only gentle corrections. The correction soon brought Ruby back in line. "Thank you. She's so excitable, I haven't brought her here before." Then she selected one of the small bits, a more Western sushi without fish, looked at Ruby with the bit held aloft, and said, "Open?"</p><p>Seeing the piece of sushi Winter held, Lady looked up intently and sat up on her knees, bringing her arms up into a begging stance.</p><p>"Open!" Winter repeated in a baby-talk voice, twitching the piece back and forth as she would for a real dog, to make sure she held her attention. As asked, she opened her mouth wide, waiting for Winter. Grinning, she popped it in and cooed, "Good girl!" as she scratched the hair behind her ear, trying her best to avoid disturbing the headband with her ears attached. Then to the "plate" next to her, she asked, "Do you have any pets?"</p><p>Chuckling as the pet happily chewed her food, she looked back up to Winter. "Just a Macaw. She's a great alarm clock, but gets super defensive over me if I bring anyone back home. Makes finding a boyfriend very difficult when she keeps biting them!"</p><p>"Well, someone's obviously taking good care of you, even if it's not a boyfriend," she observed, looking over the array of perfectly-balanced sushi. "The Macaw didn't do all this!"</p><p>Still laughing, she just managed to stop herself before the sushi moved too much. "Afraid not by a boy, though! I had some help from one of the girls. She said she had some time to kill while her boyfriend was getting ready so she helped me out. Long black hair, I think she called herself 'Kitten'?"</p><p>Winter's lips pursed as she glanced over the selection, walking slowly alongside the table. "Hmm, I think I'm familiar with 'Kitten', yes. Lady might chase her if we run into her tonight, though." Then she selected one of the nigiri bits balanced on the girl's ankle. "May I?"</p><p>"Sure! The sooner it's gone, the sooner I can wander around again. There was a stud around here I might chase when this is over. I got a thing for bears, even if most of the ones here wouldn’t have a thing for me."</p><p>But as their conversation continued, Ruby was looking toward the other scenes in the room. There was no sign of Torchwick, the Dom whom her uncle warded away when she first attended. That was a relief – even moreso than Qrow himself being absent.</p><p>However, there were a couple toward the back that had caught her eye. A woman with long, black hair, a swath of it swooping in front of one of her eyes. She was currently teasing a silver haired gentleman, who was bound to the shackles on the wall. Running her hands down his body, teasing the well toned abs with one hand, and holding a cat-o-ninetails in the other. That was a much more intense session, Ruby wagered.</p><p>"…Dom who could do the job for you," Winter was saying to the plate-woman. "I'll… well, I'll give you the information later; I'm dog-sitting at present." When she turned back to Lady, she said, "Isn't that right?" before noticing that she was distracted. "What is it, girl?"</p><p>She was still watching the woman with whom she had just established eye contact. The Dom sent a wink in her direction, seeming to revel in the fact that Ruby was blushing so much in response to it. So much that she barely noticed Winter calling her.</p><p>Until the lead was tugged lightly, and she looked up toward Winter again, immediately letting out an "Arf!"</p><p><em>"NOT her,"</em> Winter said shortly, glaring across the room herself. She seemed to spend a moment trying to decide something, then smiled down at Ruby and said, "Mommy doesn't like that woman. Does Lady want more sushi?"</p><p>That was very odd. Ruby understood her dislike for Torchwick, but not for anyone else in the club. Did she dislike this Dom just because of how much more intensive her play was? Or just because she was looking at Ruby? It seemed like a petty reason, if so. But she could ask about that later, when she wasn't Lady. Finally turning to face Winter properly, she nodded, assuming the begging position again.</p><p>"Does Lady like fish?" she asked next; this was at least a yes-or-no question, one that she could answer as a dog. Ruby nodded, continuing the begging position for longer and letting her tongue hang from her mouth. Which the tanned girl also understood, and smiled.</p><p>"The tuna rolls are on my stomach. Give her an extra one from me!"</p><p>"Of course," Winter laughed, already forgetting her recent displeasure about the Dom across the room in favour of fetching a tuna roll for her pup. Again, she held it just inches from Ruby's face and said, "Open!"</p><p>And Ruby did obediently, eagerly accepting the morsel when it was placed into her mouth, and then the second piece. It really was a unique treat to have in the middle of a scene. Of course, Ruby knew all too well, the more intense <em>treats </em>could come later.</p><p>Deciding a little praise wouldn't be remiss, Winter knelt down, scrubbing at Ruby's hair and neck with all of her fingertips as she gushed, "My Lady's such a good girl! Yes she is, yes she <em>is!"</em></p><p>From the distance, Ruby could just make out the other Dom rolling her eyes before she returned to the man in the shackles. Their dislike for each other was mutual? What exactly happened between the two to provoke that?</p><p><em>Play now, ask later,</em> she reminded herself, looking to Winter's attentions. <em>Now… what does Zwei do when you do this to him?</em> Remembering quite easily, she squinted her eyes to show her enjoyment, and began to thump one of her feet against the floor. She had no tail to wag, so it was as good as she could get.</p><p>That brought about a delighted laugh from both Winter and the plate-woman. Leaning down, she kissed Ruby's cheek and whispered, "Good Lady" so softly that it was a more private praise than the louder words from before. And in another attempt to seem more doglike, she smiled back at her, before leaning in toward her cheek. She couldn't return the favour as a kiss, but could do a dog kiss just as easily. And so let her tongue out slightly, licking her cheek.</p><p>This prompted an instant giggle, one both mildly surprised and pleased. "That tickles, Lady!" Then she pinched her cheeks between her thumb and fingers, squishing slightly as a real dog owner would do. "Such a pretty puppy!"</p><p>All the while, Ruby could just grin back in response. It was reassuring to hear she was doing a good job, even if her cheeks were being pinched rather firmly in her grip. Once she let go she crawled back slightly, gesturing to explore the rest of the club.</p><p>"Alright, alright, we're off. It was nice chatting with you, Robyn," she told the sushi-woman, taking one last California Roll off her left breast for herself.</p><p>"You, too! See you around!"</p><p>That was the last thing she could call out before they walked away toward the back of the room. The main events seemed to be the sushi woman and the shackled people toward the back, but that left the question; what was happening in the hot tub area? Ruby definitely remembered seeing it before, and when she spotted it again she wandered toward it happily, trying not to pull too hard.</p><p>"Alright, alright, be patient," her owner chuckled - and after a particularly strong pull against the lead, she commanded, "Stay!" Such a pull prompted a rather quick yelp from her pet, but she did as commanded, waiting on her hands and knees perfectly still. "You have to let Mommy catch up," she scolded very mildly as she walked up beside her. Then they continued to the hot tub together, only to find…</p><p>"Ah, Glynda!" Winter called out with a gentle smile. "Fancy meeting you here!"</p><p>Sure enough, there she was in the hot tub. Wearing extremely little, and the vague parts she was wearing were leather; she grinned back toward Winter immediately, distracted from the other few ladies in the tub. "Princess! I didn't think you were coming tonight. Rooster not here with you?"</p><p>Winter glanced nervously at Ruby, glad to see her "pet" wasn't looking at her at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to have a discussion about Rooster – especially if she had caught on to who that was the last time they met in the club. "Not tonight. I've brought Lady along for an outing; she needs to stretch her legs, play with others a little. Don't you, Lady?"</p><p>"Arf Arf!" Ruby said gleefully, sitting herself down for a moment as she looked up toward Glynda. Who looked down at her startled for a moment, with rather wide eyes, and then back up to Winter. It looked as though she was about to comment on just who Ruby was in relation to Rooster, but smiled instead. "I see. Well, is that all you have planned for the evening, or will you be headed upstairs in a while?"</p><p>"We might, if she wants to play up there." Then she patted the side of the hot tub, which had quite a bit of purchase to lean upon. "Up, Lady! I want you to meet Glynda!"</p><p>Having to blink for a moment while the command registered, Ruby finally hopped up at the tub, trying her best to maintain the dog like posture as she put her 'paws' on the side of it to support her upright position. And as she leant in, Glynda fussed just under her chin, and then behind the ears very carefully.</p><p>"She's doing very well! Is this her first session?"</p><p>"Her first in public," Winter said, as if Ruby weren't even there. As if she were a dog who could barely understand a few spare English words. "We've practiced off and on at home, but thought it was time for a true session. And what better place than here?"</p><p>"Well, there's not exactly anywhere else you <em>can </em>do it in public. Laws and all that." Glynda was mirroring the attitude as she continued to fuss over her, seeming used to this. It was second nature. Giving a little kiss on the top of her head, she added, "Well the outfit is adorable, and so well made!"</p><p>"Isn't it? Much better than the last one I bought her." As she might have with a real dog, Winter bent down and eased Ruby up until all four limbs were perched on the side of the hot tub, a hand remaining on her side to help her keep balance. It seemed she was slightly startled by those actions as she frantically looked back to what Winter was doing, managing to just balance on the edge as she looked between her master and Glynda. "Care to inspect further? Pet elsewhere?"</p><p>"Well, I am somewhat curious of a few things… she doesn't mind being petted <em>anywhere</em>, does she? Has a safety word and all that?"</p><p>Those words were slightly worrying to Ruby. If she had to check that, what was she going to do?</p><p>"I'm not Torchwick," she muttered, and she and Glynda shared a bitter laugh. "No, no, she knows she's expected to play with others. Within reason," she warned the other woman very mildly.</p><p>"Oh of course! I just want to explore what this suit is like more than anything."</p><p>And with that, there were a pair of hands beginning to fuss over Ruby's body. At first, it was just over her back, where she scratched between her shoulder blades and the down her spine, both actions prompting her foot to lightly thump once again. But the fuss didn't stop there.</p><p>"It's such good quality fur…" Glynda complimented, fussing underneath, against Ruby's front. In truth, she really was doing as she stated, inspecting and admiring the suits features, but when that involved petting a few areas over her chest to inspect the fit, it certainly had the 'pooch' blushing rather intensely.</p><p>And that intensified when she felt a hand dip a little lower. "Oh! The zip goes from front to back. Clever. There's even space for if she wanted a proper plug tail. That's cute."</p><p>To help offset the more intimate petting, Winter's hand went into Ruby's hair, caressing her scalp with gentle fingertips. "I did notice that. Thought it would be a sound investment. Also…" She reached down and wormed a finger under the leg hole just below Ruby's buttcheek and tugged. "The material has some elasticity, which you don't typically see when there's fur involved."</p><p>"Firm fit and leaves room for things to get a little rough, exciting… You'll have to give me the maker's number; I've been wanting to get back into petplay for a little while."</p><p>Much to Ruby's relief, the hands finally left Ruby's body. Breathing quietly to herself, she looked over to Winter, before innocently pawing at her arm to get her attention.</p><p>"Of course, of course." But Winter ignored the pawing, at first. Much like any pet owner would when in conversation with another human. "If you and Lady continue to get along, perhaps I'll take you both for a walk in the future. You and I have been meaning to arrange another session for some time now, haven't we?"</p><p>"I do like your sessions, you're a good Dom. And… I hate to admit this, but I also rather enjoy it when Rooster is involved. I have a slight weakness for seeing a Dom get overpowered."</p><p>The pawing only continued. Whilst it was a reassuring way of showing Ruby was oblivious to the conversation, it seemed to grow all the more needy.</p><p>"Everyone has their kinks," she laughed. "At least, everyone here does." Then she bent slightly to look into Ruby's eyes directly. "What is it, Lady? Do you need to do your business? Need a drink of water?"</p><p>
  <em>"Strawberry."</em>
</p><p>It was whispered very quietly, as though she was ashamed of herself for needing to say it; but that was their safety word. It seemed the intimate petting from Glynda and overall display to the rest of the club was finally taking its toll on her, making her too nervous to continue.</p><p>"What is it?" Winter asked in obvious concern.</p><p>"N-no, just… I wanna go upstairs now. Not stop completely. Sorry, I just didn’t… know how to…"</p><p>Winter's face had gone white when she first heard the word, but after Ruby followed up, she began to breathe again. "Alright. We can go." Trying to suppress her worry, she smiled at Glynda. "Another time? Enjoy your soak, Snowmane."</p><p>"Oh, I'm sure these two will help me enjoy it." She looked back toward the other two women in the tub, both of which held up their thumbs in approval.</p><p>Now that it was clear they were going to be heading out of view, Ruby hopped back down again, waiting patiently by her side to begin. Even if she had said the word, she would continue up until they were out of sight.</p><p>"Come along, Lady," she said, making a couple of kissy noises as she began to walk toward the stairwell to take her up to the private rooms. Soon enough, they were ascending, and Winter was glancing through the windows to see which ones were free.</p><p>"Here we are," she sighed, opening one of the doors. "In you go, girl, come on!"</p><p>Right away, Ruby 'ran' inside, sparing a couple of stray yips for effect before she was in the room. Once there, she sat herself on the ground, and waited for Winter to close the door…</p><p>Before she let out a long, shaky sigh. Sitting herself in a regular, much more human position, she tried to run her hands over her face; only to find they were still in the large plush gloves. So much for that.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," she uttered, continuing to take a few breaths. "It just got to be too much, after a while, I mean. Kinda needed a break."</p><p>But what Winter said when she turned around wasn't what Ruby had expected. Rather than scolding her outright, or reassuring her, she asked a simple question, delivered in a flat tone. "Don't you trust me?"</p><p>"I… what?" For some reason, that struck more fear into her than any scolding could. If those ears were real, they'd be pinned right back. Had she disappointed Winter? "Y-yes… Of course I do."</p><p>"I wouldn't have let anything to happen to you down there. You could have just hopped down and tugged me toward the stairs if… I mean, when you used the safeword, I was really scared that you were hurt, okay? Or that I messed up, or…"</p><p>"No no, you were doing great!" she reassured, scooting herself toward where Winter stood instead. She had overcompensated for her slight discomfort by the hot tub, and worried her too much. Why was this whole situation so awkward with the addition of her feelings? She would never feel this bad if it was anyone else she let down! Sighing, she looked to the ground. "I didn't know how to do it in character, not without getting scolded; I just needed to get outta there."</p><p>Winter took a breath, running her fingers through her own bangs as she allowed her haunted eyes to close. "You're fine… it's fine. Sorry about that, I just, I thought you were really upset down there or something, and I felt worried all the way back up here."</p><p>"And I'm really, really sorry," she stressed, still staring toward the ground. This was getting them nowhere; her own feelings for Winter truly were getting in the way of them having a good session, ruining their chances of doing what she intended when they started this whole thing; preparing her for sessions of play. Maybe it was about time she found another Dom. It would certainly make it all a lot easier.</p><p>"I'll leave if you want me to," she whispered, about to try and shuffle the gloves off. "I get if you don't wanna finish this session anymore."</p><p>"What? Why on earth would I want that? I was just worried that you…" She fell to her knees, sliding her arms around Ruby's back and bringing her in close. "I was just worried about you. But if you're alright, then that's what matters."</p><p>The sudden hug stopped Ruby's actions completely. Instead, she froze up, staying perfectly still in Winter's grip. Oh but how good it felt to be there, in a loving, genuine embrace by her. It was something else entirely… Finally she allowed herself the pleasure of hugging her back, snuggling against her rather closely as she did so, trying to clutch with the paws.</p><p>After another minute or so, Winter kissed the side of Ruby's head and whispered, "This was a good first session. But you have to learn to put your full trust in your Dom a little more than that, whether it's me or another Dom. During petplay, what they say goes; you can resist as much as a dog would, of course, but in the end you have to remember they are your master." Another brief kiss. "And if you were worried about Glynda… well, I know you don't know her, but you have to trust that I do. Otherwise, I'd never have let her lay a finger on you."</p><p>"Okay… I guess I'm still just a newbie to all this." She managed to giggle nervously, finally looking back up to Winter with a brighter expression again. That's what these types of relationships and sessions were all about in the end. Trust. And that trust was something Ruby needed to work on more.</p><p>"The goal," Winter went on, in a more businesslike tone and without any of the raw emotion from before, "is for you really to be able to play with others. Obviously, I would not have let Glynda do anything more than she did today; not on your first day out. But, in the future… it wouldn't be uncommon for several other patrons of the Clamp to want to pet you there, at least through your suit. It's expected and seen as part of the game."</p><p>"Well, I mean, I could handle petting fine! <em>Normal</em><span> petting! But</span> then she was suddenly poking around the zipper and mentioning plugs…" Unfortunately she looked down again, and lightly shuddered at the thought. "The nerves just… kinda ganged up on me, y’know? I didn't think anybody would be going that deep but you."</p><p>"I understand. So long as you try to learn what will be expected of you in the scene room. Other Doms would be more cross with you for not performing; I'm not cross at all, but I am worried about how they'll scold you if you don't get more comfortable in this role, that's all." However, she was smirking. "As for me going deep… I can definitely handle that."</p><p>There was that smirk again. That mischievous smirk that usually meant something exciting was going to be happening very soon. "Go on?"</p><p>Still wearing the same expression, she slowly took off the backpack and lowered it to the ground. "You didn't think we'd come up here to shoot the breeze, did you?"</p><p>"Oh boy…" Unable to help herself, she bit her lip and flushed red again. This would be the first time they had a session without a drink beforehand, and their first <em>somewhat</em> in public. That was assuming that Winter had left the viewing window open for people to freely glance if they wished. But she told herself that if she let Penny get her off in the car, then this shouldn’t be much worse. Watching patiently as Winter rummaged through the contents, she asked, "What are we trying this evening, then?"</p><p>Rather than answer with words, Winter raised her hand to display something Ruby had seen very early on in their time together: a black anal plug with a fluffy black-and-red tail hanging down from it. Yet again, Ruby's eyes snapped open wide. The matching tail, right there. She had managed to escape it their first time together, but this second session…</p><p>"Okay, this is gonna be <em>new</em>-new," Ruby felt the need to say, continuing to blush. "I've never even tried a finger up there before…"</p><p>"Well, you're not going to be <em>new-new</em> after today." When Ruby winced again, Winter smiled. "In one way or another. I'm going to try working you up to the plug, but if it doesn't happen, that's okay. Still want to try, though; at least get you used to the idea."</p><p>"Okay… okay, this is happening." There were a few deep breaths from Ruby as she composed herself again. This was going to be intense! Multiple people had told her anything in that region would feel very different, and far tighter than what she was used to. "Just, one thing. I know you want me to get used to it as a normal session, but…" Nervously, she looked down again. "F-for this, can I, um, drop the dog act? Cause I'll be very… distracted."</p><p>"Yeah, I think that's understandable." Then she asked very mildly, not wanting to sway Ruby in either direction, "Would you like a brief cuddle session first, so you're a little more relaxed, or do you want to get right to it?"</p><p>Ruby wanted to say “yes”. In fact, if there was the offer to just cuddle for the rest of the evening with Winter rather than continue, she would feel tempted to repeat that beautiful, intimate session between them both, cuddling in bed, falling asleep in each other's arms…</p><p><em>No no no, what are you thinking about that for?</em> she chided herself internally, having to shake her head. <em>You know that'll make things awkward. Winter doesn't do relationships, get that into your head. </em>And with that, she shook her head, smiling briefly.</p><p>"Let’s get right into it."</p><p>"Good. Now, then… do you want to keep your paws on? I'd like you to, so we can get straight back to play if you get the tail squared away in there." Even as she asked, her hand was trailing down Ruby's stomach, heading toward the zipper.</p><p>For a moment, Ruby looked to the paws again. Sure enough with a small flex, she smiled to herself. "They're too cute to take off."</p><p>That prompted a genuine grin from the Dom. "They really are cute, and you're cute wearing them." The sound of the zipper cut her off from saying anymore, and she kept it going all the way underneath and back to the suit’s clip-on tail. "Still doing alright?"</p><p>Wriggling to part the material slightly where it was now unzipped, she nodded. There wasn't much else she could do other than settle in a comfortable position against her Dom, trusting in her to handle all the details.</p><p>"Okay, hmm… settle on your back. I think that would be easier." Winter began to help her ease backward, one hand between her shoulder blades. Eventually she was resting on the ground while raising both her paws yet again into the begging position. It seemed the easiest while Winter was about to prepare her body.</p><p>"What does it feel like?" she couldn't help but ask. "If you've ever tried it, I mean."</p><p>"Oh, I have, believe me," she chuckled lightly, edging the material open wide as she settled in to tease her. "It's… I don't know how to describe it. More powerful, more… I don't know. Your mind will try to tell you it's hurting, because it's a feeling it's not used to, but if you really focus you'll realize it's not <em>pain </em>you're feeling. Discomfort at its worst, but more typically <em>pleasure</em>."</p><p>"Okay, that sounds strange…" As she felt Winter's fingers beginning to touch her skin, she wriggled back and forth again, before settling with her feet against the ground, spread right apart. "Like, I know that for people with dicks, they have a prostate… I just never got what people like us get out of it."</p><p>"You'll see." Then she reached into the bag again. "I'm going to get some gloves; it'll make cleanup easier, since I'm also going to use a little flavoured lube. Your butt is going to smell like cherries – literally."</p><p><em>"Flavoured</em> lube? I thought that was just for dildos and stuff! Why would you…" Seemed her sub was going to learn all sorts of things today. Not just what it would feel like to have fingers poking where the sun don't shine. Keeping her legs apart, she tried to look down between them to watch as Winter slid the gloves on. Once her hands were prepared, Winter pulled out the tiny tube of lubricant and smiled over at her.</p><p>"Now, this will be cold, of course, but I can hold it between my legs for a minute for you." Which she did immediately, pressing the bottle in between her thighs. "Might not make much difference, but it's worth a shot, right?"</p><p>"You just want to put things between your legs or something." But as soon as that came out, Ruby slapped her paws across her mouth, face flushing red yet again. "I'm sorry! When I’m nervous, I don't exactly think before words come out my mouth!"</p><p>The smirk was bemused, at least. "I do, but not at the moment. Right now, I want to focus on what's going between <em>your </em>legs." To drive her point home, she began stroking over Ruby's hindcheeks with one hand.</p><p>"Eeee-oh…" Beginning to relax, she couldn't help but shudder lightly when hands went over her skin, gliding softly to stimulate her. Allowing her hands to fall again, she returned them to the same begging position. Seemed that aspect of play was going to remain.</p><p>"Good… you like that?" Then she took the tube out from her thighs, feeling it had grown very slightly warmer. "Alright, I think we may be ready."</p><p>Displaying some dexterity, she managed to unscrew the cap of the lube with the one hand alone, fingers twisting in order to dislodge it. Slowly nodding in agreement, Ruby smiled rather happily to herself, biting her lip to stop any stray moans or faint calls of joy. She watched as Winter slowly prepared two of her fingers, coating them in the dense fluid. It smelled nice even from this distance, just like Winter said.</p><p>"Okay…" Again, the hand returned, but this time only a thumb brushed one cheek, in the general area. "I won't begin until you say 'tickle my ass'. It's a silly phrase, I know - but this way, it's <em>only </em>happening when you tell me to do it."</p><p>"'Tickle my ass'… wow, really?" she asked jokingly. But in truth, she was already prepared for such actions. Winter was taking such good care to relax and calm her down, why wouldn't she be? With a small smile, she leant back, and repeated the phrase again. "Tickle my ass."</p><p>"Your wish is my pleasure, Lady." And without any further delay, Winter pushed one lube-coated fingertip up against Ruby's tightly-puckered opening.</p><p><em>"Hoo!</em> Ohhh, it’s so <em>weird</em>," she panted, letting out a small series of moans in response to the finger attempting to enter her. It really was tight, even though she felt Winter circling the muscle over and over again to try and loosen it.</p><p>"Just relax," her Dom said in a low, calming voice as she continued to tease in a slow, lazy circle. "Mmm, I haven't played with an ass this tight in a long time. But I can open it… just you wait and see."</p><p><em>"Mmmfff!</em> Y-you're pretty confident of that, huh?"</p><p>But the efforts were working. Gradually, the muscle of her sub was beginning to twitch against the finger trying to make its way inside it, trying to resist opening itself completely to her, but it was somewhat useless. Each twitch was causing it to become even looser.</p><p>"Oh… oh that's so…" Strange. Winter was barely penetrating her, but she could feel the tingles going through her body. The barest hints of both pain and pleasure mixed into one, leaving an equally confusing sensation. But one that was rather enjoyable. Keeping back a moan, she asked, "W-was it like this f-for you?"</p><p>"Not like this precisely; my backdoor was given a more… sudden and unexpected lesson." Her smile was lopsided now. "Though I did come to appreciate it once I got over the shock."</p><p>"O-oh… Right…" When the finger began to press in harder, Ruby found herself wincing. She was still unsure what to make of the whole ordeal. Did she enjoy it? Or was she just putting up with it for Winter's sake? The possibility was both, that she was enjoying it because it was Winter. Had it been anyone else poking there, she probably wouldn't be as accommodating.</p><p>But Winter was determined to make this as pleasurable as she could for her sub. Leaning down, she left a soft kiss on the inner thigh, humming loud enough so it could be heard as she did so. Anything to help her accept the finger more readily.</p><p>"Y-yeah… Definitely glad I d-dropped the dog act for this," she mused quietly, continuing to bear the treatment of her rear end as it loosened all the more. Again, she was still confused, still unable to comprehend the feeling.</p><p>Until the tip slid in further, and she gasped.</p><p>"Ooohhh," Winter cooed, letting the finger come to a halt when she heard the little gasp. "I'm inside your ass, Lady. How is it?"</p><p>"I-it's…" Eyes shutting rather firmly, she shuddered at the sensation, feeling her muscles spasm against the finger again. "I-it's… so weird."</p><p>"In a good way?" Another long, lingering kiss on her thigh, one in which the lips began to knead upon the flesh gratefully, beyond happy to be doing what she was doing.</p><p>"In a… I dunno just yet." Yet again there were a few more twitches of her leg, all while she was trying to understand what she was feeling down below. Even as Winter pushed in that bit further, she was still unsure, still quivering.</p><p>Glancing down, Winter let out a soft chuckle. "Your body doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. Maybe it's ahead of your brain."</p><p>"M-mayb- aaaah!" Even further inside, she felt the fingers prying, opening her up. Winter certainly was patient, given how long it was taking her to grow accustomed to it. And this was just one finger! How much more intense was this going to get with something larger?</p><p>But Winter didn't seem to need to progress to anything larger - not just yet. Once the finger was a little deeper in, she began to wiggle it very slightly, just to see what Ruby's reaction might be.</p><p>"Mmmfff! H-hah!" That was even stranger than before! Feeling the tip of Winter's finger press against different sections of her inside was really taking its toll, sending yet more tingles through her skin. How could she bear this as often as she claimed? Did Weiss do this? Did Yang?</p><p>"Oh, just you wait until we work up to the plug," Winter teased her very mildly. "But… wow, you look like you're really loving this." When Ruby stared at her with wide eyes, she shrugged. "Not in a way you expected; I can see that, too. But I can usually tell who's going to be a butt-slut and who isn't during their first time playing back there. And you, Lady…" Her finger writhed and pushed deeper. "You're just getting started."</p><p>Yet another shaky release of breath. A butt-slut? Her? She could never imagine herself asking Penny for this, or any other Dom in the future; but it seemed almost like a requirement for the club. After all, it was something Glynda commented on straight away without even thinking, and likely something everyone took part in no matter what the gender. But was it really what she wanted and enjoyed?</p><p>The breathing was so shaky that Winter paused, finger nearly all the way in, and kissed Ruby's leg again. "Relax. Breathe deeper. Let yourself accept it. I promise you, I've had this done to me more times than I can count, and it's all about not fighting it."</p><p>"Okay… O-okay…" But she couldn't stop herself! No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the quivering in her breath, the spasming of her muscle against the finger that was invading. Everything felt so unusual, so tight. Even after five minutes of weathering the treatment, Winter's sub was still unsure if she liked this or not.</p><p>"Still so tight," Winter observed, biting her lip as she began to slide the finger in and out a little. Clearly, she was surprised that Ruby hadn't loosened up as much as she had been expecting, but was no less determined to make it happen.</p><p>"W-winter…" She couldn't help herself. When the finger began to move back and forth inside her, the moan just slid out. Still confused, still concerned of what was happening to her body. There was just so much for her to handle.</p><p><em>Okay, try not to think about it,</em> she attempted to think to herself, biting her lip. <em>If you're still this worried when it's the plug, THEN use the word. For now, just relax, will you?!</em></p><p>In a sing-song voice, Winter began to coo, "Lady, Lady, my little butt-slut…" Then she giggled as she wriggled the finger. It really wasn't moving all that much when it came down to it, but definitely enough that it could not be ignored.</p><p>"Hnnn!" Gritting her teeth, she felt her muscles twitch yet again. It truly was too intense for her to ignore, and the teasing was only making it worse. Toes curling in her socks, she asked, "H-how long… Does this take? U-until you try t-the…"</p><p>"I could try it now," she assured her. "You've opened up enough, but I didn't think you were ready yet. You're so nervous!" Another kiss on the thigh, this one longer, very tender. "Don't you want to open up for Princess?"</p><p>"I-I…" She was still unsure. Although… trying the plug would certainly prove if she really did like it or not, if she were to take something far bigger. Closing her eyes, she nodded gently. "L-let's try now."</p><p>Smiling down at her, she whispered, "Okay. Just remember your safe word." Then she eased back, holding the finger inside of her as she reached back to the bag, nipping out the tail.</p><p>"Now, this is going to be very sudden, but I'm going to pull my finger out and replace it with the plug, up to the finger's width. See how it's tapered?" She held it up so Ruby could see how it went from a thinner point to a wider bulge. "I'll stop it there for a minute, and then we'll work it further in, widening your ass as we go."</p><p>Cheeks flushing red once again, Ruby looked at the plug in her hand. Compared to a finger, it seemed <em>huge</em>. How on earth was she expected to take all of that and leave it there?! How could <em>anyone</em>, even? But she had to try. Even if she didn't end up liking it, she had to try for her partner. Giving a small nod, she held her legs right back for Winter to work her magic.</p><p>Nodding to herself, Winter laid the plug on Ruby's thigh. "Hold this for me a moment."</p><p>Then she brought up the tube of lube and drizzled just a tiny bit more onto its surface, some drips landing on her leg instead. Having to try and curl the paw around the tail, she secured it in place as best she could. Though yet again, she shuddered when feeling the liquid hitting her inner thigh. It had gotten slightly colder since it was first pressed there. But still, she did as best she could, holding the tail firm.</p><p>"There we are," Winter said, using her free hand to lube up the silicon length once she had put the tube back down. "Want to make sure this has as easy a time as possible." Then she picked it up by the base and brought it right up beside the buried finger. "Alright… three, two… one!"</p><p>And within just a few quick seconds, the finger was gone, and the tip was pressing against the already-loosened opening.</p><p>"H-haaaah!!!" Once more, Ruby's toes were curling in the paw print socks Winter had got for her. It was so much bigger than her finger already, and it had barely even entered her! And it was only going to get bigger, and delve deeper, widening her poor back door. Biting her lip once more, she tried to hold on while Winter pushed it that bit further, paws curling against the ground in an attempt to hang onto something.</p><p>"You're okay," she encouraged very gently, pausing when she saw how starkly Ruby was reacting. "I promise your body can take much bigger than this; it's very elastic back there. Especially at your age."</p><p>"I-it's so… S-so…" One of her legs was quivering. While the first finger had been bearable, just, this was so much more intense. But Winter wasn't stopping, and continued to push more of it into her body, widening her all the more. And again her breath was continuing to shake, continuing to get nervous. How did people do this on a regular basis?!</p><p>Again, Winter paused in the inward advance to turn it very slightly from side to side instead. "Relax your body completely, Lady. We're more than halfway there, just another inch and it will be in, and able to sit comfortably inside you."</p><p>But alas, Ruby couldn't. With those few turns, and a tiny bit more widening, she had enough. "S-strawberry!"</p><p>Winter spoke in exactly the same tone, as if she were still encouraging Ruby to take more - but what she said was, "Stop right where we are, or take it all the way out?"</p><p>Judging by how shaky her breath still was, and by how she was twitching in both her legs and the tight muscle around the object, the answer would come as no surprise. Still, she had to tell Winter herself, so shook her head lightly. "O-out…"</p><p>"Alright, taking it out now." Smoothly but quickly, she slid the object free of Ruby's behind.</p><p>Finally, she felt herself gradually begin to close back up again. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to slow her breathing right down to calm herself. While disappointed she couldn't continue further, she could tell her body wasn't ready for such a feat.</p><p>"Sorry," she whispered once catching her breath. "I tried. I really tried…"</p><p>"You did wonderfully," Winter told her seriously, removing her gloves and laying them by her bag. "I told you I wanted us to try, and that's what we did. You didn't take it all, but you took most of it; that's really good, you know, and nothing to be ashamed of or to apologise for."</p><p>"Isn't this like a requirement though? Like a common thing?" she asked, letting her legs down at last as she looked back toward Winter. "Like, aren't pets supposed to have a tail or something? If I can't even do that, how can I-"</p><p>"Shhhh," Winter soothed her, petting the insides of her thighs again and pressing her lips against one of Ruby's fleshy cheeks. "We'll try again; it's over for tonight, but not over forever. But you're right, it's typical for pets to use plugs. However, if you tell your Doms you can't do it, they'll respect that - well, if they're a Dom worth a damn." Then she chanced a small smile. "Do you mind if we talk about it for a minute, though?"</p><p>For a moment, Ruby just looked in her direction. Either Winter was one in a million, or Ruby had fiercely misjudged the community she was getting involved in. She was so kind, so caring for her needs, and reassured her every step of the way. It was almost beautiful.</p><p>
  <em>She</em>
  <span> was beautiful.</span>
</p><p>No, she wouldn't keep thinking about that. Not this evening. Tonight, her goal was to try and find another Dom after their play to avoid such feelings, so she could avoid hurting Winter <em>and</em> Penny. That didn't mean that they couldn't chat though. Nodding, she shuffled herself over instead, leaning against Winter as she sat with her. Sliding an arm around her shoulders, Winter accepted her head under her own, leaning her ear down against her crown.</p><p>"You liked that. I could tell. That's not saying you have to do it just because you liked it, or that you were ready for anything more. You're not on an 'anal schedule', so you can't fall behind, now, can you? I'm just telling you what I observed from your physical reactions."</p><p>Shuffling back and forth for a moment, Ruby found herself flexing her hind muscles again on instinct. It was strange to have something absent after the time Winter took to open her up, but still just as much a relief. Leaning back further into her, she let one of her hands drop on top of Winter's.</p><p>"I still don't know if I liked it," she confessed, shuffling lightly again. "It was so weird. Kinda uncomfortable, kinda hot? But like, I don't know if I could go any further than this."</p><p>"You can, I'm sure of it; it's just not something you're used to liking." Winter sighed. "I know I'm going to sound argumentative, and I'm sorry for that, but… chances are that if I don't say anything, you're going to go home, and you're going to drive yourself crazy worrying about whether you liked it or not, and wind up talking yourself out of trying it again for a long time. That's not what I want for my sub. So I'm hoping…" She took a breath, contemplating her words. "I'm hoping that if I can gently encourage you to think about it positively, that you will at least be open to trying it again soon."</p><p>"Maybe…" She bit her lip again nervously, looking off into the corner. "I guess that's me with a lot of my kinks. I'm just too scared of exploring them because they’re weird things to like, even if some are probably things I'll never try, anyway."</p><p>"I'll never judge you, or your reactions." She smiled pleasantly. "Remember what happened when you squirted on me? Did anything bad happen, anything at all? No. We're both still fine."</p><p>For a moment, Ruby was smiling mischievously. While they were talking, they could at least have some fun. "I'll bet I can surprise you with at least one of my kinks."</p><p>"I'll bet you can," Winter answered easily enough, rubbing along her arm consolingly. Then she drew back a few inches. "Wait, was that meant to be some kind of challenge?"</p><p>Looking up toward her instead, the mischievous smirk only continued. "It can be, if you want me to try and surprise you?"</p><p>"Alright, but…" She glanced back at Ruby's behind, then leaned forward. "Let's make the stakes something non-sexual. If I'm surprised, you win. If I'm not, I win. The winner…" Her lips pulled into a wicked little grin. "The winner gets to buy two ice creams of whatever flavor they want, and the loser HAS to eat theirs. No exceptions."</p><p>"Wait, so the loser can’t back out of eating the winner’s choice? So like, if you wanted to buy mint, I have to eat it?" It didn't seem a particularly major bet, but enough to pose some sort of a threat, if it meant eating a disgusting flavour. Nodding, she grinned. "Deal."</p><p>"See, you made a fatal mistake; you told me which flavor to make you eat. But to even the odds, I'm not particularly fond of anything with nuts." But she was chuckling, sitting back from Ruby. "Alright, what's this fetish you have?"</p><p>For a moment, Ruby paused. Was she really about to do this? This was something that Penny didn't even know, and she was about to tell a Dom that wouldn't be <em>her </em>Dom for too much longer. But what did she have to lose? Besides, Winter had proven time and time again she could be trusted.</p><p>"Okay, so it has a story to it," she began, making sure she was facing Winter. "So once in school, I got detention from my art teacher. It was nothing major, I just forgot my homework, and I had to stay behind. No one else was there though, just me. It was winter - um, the season, not the <em>you </em>- so the room was a little chilly, and she lit some candles to try and make the place feel warmer, y'know?"</p><p>“What kind of crummy school didn’t have adequate heating?” Winter laughed. But the tale wasn't done yet; Ruby continued.</p><p>"This teacher is one I kinda had a crush on anyway. She was stern, but fair, and I really, <em>really </em>liked that. I was somewhat distracted anyways, so when she came over to help me…" She shuffled once again, clearly preparing herself for the last part. "She accidentally knocked one of the candles over, and the wax went all over my hand and arms. I dunno why, like it hurt, but it also felt really <em>really </em>good. But that and the fact she did it, was just… yeah."</p><p>Winter blinked a few times. "Oh, hot wax? Wow, I… did not figure you for the pain-kink type. Even if wax isn't very high on the-" Then she slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she had just admitted.</p><p>And Ruby simply grinned intensely. "HAH! Knew that'd surprise you!"</p><p>"Damn, really put my foot in it this time," Winter grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. "Very well, I won't back out of our bet; you win."</p><p>But in return, Ruby only giggled. The least she could do now that Winter admitted defeat was lean in, giving a small kiss on her cheek. "Well, I think the teacher thing ties into it, too, just to let you know. Then again, I said from the beginning that was a thing of mine."</p><p>"Tell me more about this teacher," Winter said as she began to pet Ruby's belly in small, lazy circles. "There's always a specific 'type'. What did she look like? Tall, short, young, old?"</p><p><em>Oh… that feels nice,</em> Ruby thought to herself when her belly was petted, biting her lip very slightly at the sensation. Maybe they weren't going to finish with the plug like she first assumed, but maybe they could still have some fun.</p><p>"Well…" She looked toward Winter, eyes half closing. "She was young-ish… wore square shaped glasses. Thin build…"</p><p>"Hair colour? Eyes?" She kissed the tip of Ruby's nose. "You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious. Sounds like she really got you wound up."</p><p>Leaning in against the hand rubbing her belly, Ruby smiled. "I never really looked at her eyes, past the glasses… too intense. But she had red hair, back in a bun a lot of the time. Really looked more like a librarian than an art teacher."</p><p>Humming, Winter rubbed more vigorously, enjoying their gentler interaction now that Ruby's worry had passed. "I almost want her to step on me myself, so I can imagine how much worse you had it in school." Her voice dipped lower. "Did you ever daydream about her?"</p><p>"I might have…" The rubbing was having an effect. Each movement was sending heat to her core again. Winter was going the right way about getting her hot under the collar. Literally.</p><p>"What do you imagine? Besides the candles, I mean." Rubbing slower, she kissed the side of Ruby's head as she whispered, "Do you want her to punish you? Or just to take a very firm hand to parts of your body?"</p><p>"Hmmm…" Relaxing into the hand again, Ruby found herself trying to push up against it, attempting to push it down lower toward the open zipper. "M-maybe both… punishing me is hot, sometimes… but commanding me… Mmmfff…"</p><p>"Just telling you what to do to yourself?" Winter persisted, the hand drifting a little lower. She had no problem doing for Ruby what she desired; she had earned that much for being such a good sub and trying to put up with the newness of a plug. "I can get behind that." After a moment, she decided that since this was no longer truly a "session", she could be a little more open. "I… like that a lot, too. When I'm the sub, that is."</p><p>It was a rather pleasant treat for Ruby, to learn of the things Winter liked as a sub rather than just her needs as a Dom. She had known Winter preferred to be submissive, especially to men, but never really knew what she enjoyed most. It seemed now, she was willing to say.</p><p>"I-I noticed… Your bed…" She continued to talk while Winter was approaching her sex, curious to see if her partner would continue to talk so easily. "The beams are really strong… and there's rings at the top to secure things there?"</p><p>Winter smiled in a pleased manner, petting all the lower. "My Lady is so smart!" But she laughed to make it clear she wasn't reinitiating play. "Yes, I had that custom ordered. It's very… useful. You can make use of the rings yourself, if you'd like; I just hadn't brought them up because we've been busy with other matters."</p><p>"I think I prefer… what was it you called it? Shibari." But when she felt Winter's fingers hit home, she sighed in delight. At last, she could finally revel in the wonderful sensations, which she did so by pushing her hips up against them.</p><p>"But the idea of you there…" She tried to distract herself, even if it was by imagining something else kinky. "Is that what you like best? To be splayed out?"</p><p>"Oh yes," Winter sighed, her own voice finally sounding the tiniest bit discomfited. "It's so satisfying, hanging there and being made a spectacle. A little paddling…" Then she laughed. "I'm rambling; you don't want to hear all this."</p><p>"Actually…" As she continued to push herself up against the fingers all the more, she had to somehow suppress a moan. The more she imagined Winter in a submissive state, helpless for whoever wanted her, the wetter she was getting. "Actually I do… g-go on… what makes you the craziest?"</p><p>Ruby asking after these details was having a side effect; Winter was also sounding more and more as if she would like to have her own needs met. When she was purely in control of Ruby, she seemed to almost have no sexual appetite whatsoever; merely a detached pleasure at watching the younger woman squirm. This, however…</p><p>"Mmhhh," Winter sighed, grinding her fingers against her sub's sex even harder. "Oh, there's so many things! I like having my mouth fucked. Being spitroasted, or double-penetrated… I've had all three filled before, but that's been a while, and it was a little much for me personally. Oh, and I like being stepped on, or spat on. Chained up - as you guessed. And I love outfits, not just as a Dom but as a sub, as well."</p><p>"Hmmm!" Biting her lip for a moment to prevent her moans becoming all too loudly, Ruby took a moment to take all those mental images in. Shadow figures of men taking the woman who dominated her quite a few evenings. Not just one at a time, some even together. The idea of her being chained up while one man was at the front of her and another at the back.</p><p>She couldn't resist, she had to moan out. That mental image was all too satisfying. Why not add a little more? "O-outfits?"</p><p>"Well," Winter sighed as she continued stroking along her soft wetness, "You… have seen a few of them by now. The Hogwarts one, the one I'm wearing now. Others hanging in my secret closet. French maid, nurse, gothic lolita, naughty librarian…" She paused, then added, "Or teacher…"</p><p>"Hoooooo…" That was the shakiest breath of the evening. Seemed that was having an effect on Ruby that she didn't intend at all. Not only were the moans slightly increasing in volume, but she was quivering once again. Now she couldn't get that image out of her mind… Winter in those square glasses that she loved on that art teacher. Winter commanding her over a desk, helping her out. Winter The Teacher.</p><p>"Mmhhh," she sighed gently, her hips shifting from side to side restlessly as she listened to Ruby moaning, watched her writhe beneath her gentle encouragement. "Ohh, have I told you lately how hot you are?"</p><p>Already her poor sub was getting close. Imagining such things really did have a major effect on her. With each delicate rub over her folds, she found herself climbing further and further. It must have been what was left over from dealing with the plug.</p><p>"In fact… since you seem to like hearing about what I'm like on the bottom…" Winter leaned in, and with a voice full of need, she asked, "How about when you're finished… I let you put that tail in <em>my</em> ass, instead?"</p><p>
  <em>"HHHAAAAAhhh!!!"</em>
</p><p>It was unexpected, but suddenly Ruby hit her limit. Quivering against the very fingers sliding up and down her folds, she let the tingles of joy travel through her body. Fast, intense waves of pleasure, brought on from all of the teasing and all the imagining of her Dom. The image of her writhing from the intrusion of the tail in her perfect ass was the last straw.</p><p>"Yes!" Winter crowed, stroking harder and harder, wringing every second of pleasure from her sub, drawing out her climax as long as she could. "That's a good Lady! Oh, come for me - I love hearing it! It's so exquisite!"</p><p>Those last few movements of fingers were enough to cause a few more twitches of her. Once more, the small amount of fluid freed itself from Ruby's sex, splashing against her mistress’s hand again and again as she pushed her climax as far as she could, torturing her poor sex. But oh how good it felt, how good to finally get that release!</p><p>There was a pronounced shudder from Winter, and she licked her lips as she felt the spurting up against her. Perfect; she always hoped for a chance to reassure Ruby in this area. In an even more obscenely sexual voice, she said, "More! I want to feel more of you running down my hand! It's… so beautiful, I'm so blessed! Bathe me, my little Lady!"</p><p>There was no more to be had. After a few spurts, Ruby's finish was over. She simply couldn't handle any further movements. But what had been done filled her with joy, left her grinning as she laid back against Winter, staring blankly at the ceiling.</p><p>GOD this was too good. How was she ever going to give this up to go Dom-hunting?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: anal plug, strap on sex. FALLINGPETALS(CinderRuby): making out. Aftercare cuddle puddle.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 6</b>
</p><p>Seeing that her little puppy was spent, Winter grinned down at her. "So… did you have a good climax, Lady? Feeling all tingly?"</p><p>Very slowly, Ruby began to nod, grinning to herself contentedly. In truth, she was still seeing stars as she came down, and continued to bathe in the afterglow. Couldn’t even <em>speak.</em></p><p>"Good. Now…. you can help me if you want or just relax and listen, but…" She bit her lip. "I'm not supposed to do this; it's not recommended for a Dom to confess to a sub, but I really need to get off. Immediately."</p><p>Even though she was still recovering, Ruby heard the plea. In fact, it filled her with delight, making her grin mischievously as she looked up to her Dom, and then reached out for the bag of goodies. "Let's see what we have here to help…"</p><p>A breathy little laugh escaped Winter as she watched Ruby inspecting the contents. "Oh, you might not even get that far; I'm pretty wet." Still, she was curious, so she only watched and waited to see what Ruby might come out with.</p><p>"Huh… You brought a few things tonight," she commented. One thing she brought into view for a moment was the choke collar, which was no doubt for her if they continued their pet play longer. Though she then placed that back down to bring up the other few items, such as a vibrator, then a glass tapered dildo, a regular dildo…</p><p>"Y'know what would be really cruel?" she asked, smirking lowly. "If there was a chastity belt in here…"</p><p>At that, Winter laughed, though her need still shone through the laughter. "Didn't think we'd need it here. And… I wouldn't let you put it on me, anyway. Remember, I… may be letting you get me off <em>once</em>, but I'm still the Dom tonight. I don't flip mid-scene."</p><p>"Fair enough…" The attempt at winding her up further was fruitless. But that didn't mean she was going to give up. She was going to help Winter, just like she first said she would. Looking back at the glass tapered dildo, she brought it into view. "These ones are more for butts, right?" she asked. "It’s so thin…"</p><p>Winter glanced at it, then laughed and fell backward. "Oh, I'd forgot I grabbed it! Yes… yes, it's for butts." Then she looked down at her again, curiously. "Did… you really want to stuff me? I was kidding before, but if you want to, by all means."</p><p>Ruby could only bite her lip nervously, looking back at the dildo again. It was certainly a lot harder than anything she had seen, completely solid. Even if she hadn't seen it herself, she was fairly sure Winter's backside could weather the treatment. After all, she said herself she had endured a lot of extremes.</p><p>"Do <em>you</em> want to?" she asked, holding it still. "I mean, you said you liked it."</p><p>"I do," Winter said, reaching down to slide off the bottom section of her outfit. She could have just shunted the crotch to one side, but it would have given too much interference. "Just remember how I… <em>prepared</em> you, and do the same for me."</p><p>"Like with the finger?" she asked. Although in that moment she looked back in the bag again for one important item. Something Winter remembered, but only seemed to have one pair of. "Oh… Gloves. Should I go bare?"</p><p>"You can reuse the other one of mine." She pointed to the pair lying on the floor. "It's only the outsides that have lube on them, so the insides should still keep your hands clean enough."</p><p>Picking up the one that had no lube present on its outside, Ruby soon slid it onto her left hand. The next task was to fetch the tube, and squeeze a small amount onto a couple of her fingers. "Oh… Do you want one or two to start? You're more used to it after all."</p><p>Both of Winter's eyes shot wide as she looked down at Ruby's face. "I… okay, you're new, it's fine. For future reference, though, you, um, can't really start with two. Or at least, it would be a pretty unique ass that could take two from the beginning."</p><p>Blushing up a storm once again, Ruby continued to coat just the one finger for a moment instead. "See, this is why I ask! I dunno if people can handle big things right away or need time, or what!"</p><p>"That's why all plugs taper," Winter laughed, but <em>with </em>Ruby, not at her. "To gently widen the sphincter. I mean, you can of course just ram anything in there regardless of size, but that leads to… well, let's not go down that road," she finished quietly, as if it were one she already had been down herself.</p><p>"Alright alright. Well… I think I'm ready, anyway." She displayed the thoroughly lubricated finger to get her attention again, shuffling toward her to sit at her side. "How are we gonna do this? Do you want me to sit by your side?"</p><p>"Wherever's comfortable," Winter sighed as she settled onto her back, easing her thighs apart so that Ruby could get a good view.</p><p>"Okay, right here is good." Looking down to the view below, Ruby was blushing at the sight. Winter was so wet! No wonder she was so desperate to finish, Ruby's actions had wound her up so much! Shuffling that bit further forward, she eased the finger inward…</p><p>Until it hit home, and began to circle the small ring just as she did. The effect was immediate; Winter sighed, stretching her limbs and allowing her eyes to close, obviously enjoying the advances. The muscle itself spasmed in response to Ruby's finger, a reflex more than a conscious action. In almost no time, Ruby was noticing her opening up. So much quicker and easier than she did. No doubt the sessions of doing this with other men, or even in her own time, helped. Testing the limits, she slowly pushed the finger inward more and more, testing her reaction.</p><p>"Mmmmhh, yes," she breathed softly. It wasn't quite the voice she had used when Ruby was going down on her, not that aroused and wanton, but darker, deeper. This was a woman who was most definitely at home enjoying the benefits of that orifice.</p><p>"Am I doing okay?" she asked, allowing the finger to delve in even further. What else did Winter try? That's right; she wriggled her finger as well. Curling her finger on occasion, she tested to see what effect it would have on her, lightly biting her lip in anticipation.</p><p>There was a shaky sigh this time, and Winter's stomach obviously flexed. "O-ohh, that's… well, look who's getting more adventurous!"</p><p>"So I'm doing good? That's… that's good." She grinned, now beginning to draw her finger back very slightly again. Once it was nearly out, she pushed it back inward again, at a slightly faster pace.</p><p>"Ohhh, YES! Ruby, you… really do learn fast, don't you?" Her thighs drifted yet further apart, prepared to weather the rough treatment from her sub. The smile on her face was elated, satisfied; there was no pretense about how much she wanted this.</p><p>Continuing to push her finger in and out, Ruby watched the reactions of her partner. She was so much more sure of herself than Ruby was, so much more pleased by everything. Pure entertainment.</p><p>After another minute or two, Winter licked her dry lips and breathed, "You… could either use two now, or… move on to that glass plug. Whichever you're more interested in."</p><p>But Ruby was still mesmerised by how easily her finger went in and out. It was oddly hypnotic to watch how the skin moved around her digit, dragging slightly with each exit. Eventually, she drew her finger out… only to add a second finger with it, gradually pushing it inside with her first one, and watching again how the skin adapted.</p><p>"A-aaaAAAHH! Oh yeah, wow, that's so much! Mmm…" Though she had seized, she then quickly fell back with her eyes half-open, just letting the sensation wash over her.</p><p>"Oh Winter… You look so good," she encouraged, continuing to push in and out of her body and widening her all the more. "How does this feel? Like… d-does it feel good?"</p><p>"It really does," Winter said in a voice of ill-concealed desire. "I've… loved having my ass played with for… years now." Then she smirked at the sub. "How does it feel for you, doing it to me?"</p><p>"It feels tight," she described to her, continuing to thrust her fingers in and out. "So very tight… No wonder you like this so much."</p><p>The Dom nodded down at her, flexing her hindmuscles around the two fingers so that Ruby could feel. "It's a powerful sensation… not quite like having my cunt touched, but still interesting. Still enjoyable for me."</p><p>"Like you have to tell me, after today!" She smiled, finally beginning to draw her fingers out slowly as she looked back to the glass tapered dildo. It was time. "Okay… Want me to do what you did? Quickly replace my fingers with the plug?"</p><p>"Yes," she said immediately. "The ass begins to close up if you don't act quickly, so then all that work your fingers did would go to waste. That's why I did it the way I did."</p><p>"Alright then. Let me just…. uh…." That was a dilemma. While she was holding two fingers still inside, she only had one hand to work with. And realised she had forgotten a crucial step. "I forgot to lube the dildo…"</p><p>Smiling sweetly, she said, "It's alright. Since we're not having a hardline session or anything, I can hold it while you lube it up. I don't mind."</p><p>Her hand raised, waiting. Passing it over to Winter, she took the lube in her hand once it was free, instead. With her help, she was able to squeeze a healthy amount onto the length of it, trying to coat as many of the ridges as possible. But that didn't mean she was going to stop teasing, and she began to wriggle her fingers inside the muscle again. Which nearly made Winter drop the implement, but she didn't; she was able to writhe under Ruby's ministrations and maintain her grip at the same time. Truly a woman who knew how to multitask.</p><p>But Ruby only smirked mischievously again when seeing how Winter was starting to struggle. Setting the lube to one side, she took the dildo from her. "You're really eager for this… Is it just because my finger is in your butt? Or me in general?"</p><p>"A… little of both," Winter replied breathlessly, smiling up at her sub as she began to shift her hips from side to side, just enough to increase the sensation. "You're learning so fast…"</p><p>It slightly tugged at Ruby's heart strings to hear. Especially when she had plans to be moving on soon to find a different Dom. She was yet to tell Winter that step. But she had to admit… "I have a great teacher." With another wriggle of her finger, she held the dildo close. "Okay, I'm gonna switch soon, ready?"</p><p>Nodding, the Dom looked up at her, eyes almost as challenging as they were full of desire. "I can take it."</p><p>"Okay. Here we… Go!" Within a few seconds, she drew her fingers back out again, and suddenly pushed the dildo up against her muscles instead. Just as easily, Winter’s body took it, accepting the first inch into her ass with no resistance. Just up to the same amount as her finger was in for now.</p><p>"OHHH!" It was almost more of a growl than a moan, and Winter sucked in air through her teeth afterward. But then she relaxed, eyes heavy-lidded as she grew more accustomed to the size and shape of it.</p><p>"There we go…" Mesmerised once more, Ruby watched as she pushed more of the object in, observing as her skin adapted to the various ridges of its shape. Once past the first one, she continued to push more, watching it widen over the changing surface .</p><p>"Oh… This is so weird… How does it feel? With all those waves?"</p><p>Tossing her head back and forth, Winter finally managed to concentrate enough to whisper, "So good… I… love this one." Her legs raised up, and one of the boot heels balanced on Ruby's shoulder, helping to open her up more to the efforts.</p><p>Grinning to herself, Ruby only continued to push it in further, watching in amazement as it went in and out, in and out. No wonder she liked this one, with the amount of ridges her body had to adapt to, it must feel a pure delight. With her free hand, she slowly stroked Winter's legs, trying to entice her all the more.</p><p>"W-wait," Winter breathed with a shaky laugh. "Mmm, that's really good, but… when you're through teasing me, you sh- you should leave it in."</p><p>"Leave it- o-oh…." Pausing for a moment, but still holding one end to make sure it didn't go anywhere, she double checked. "Are you sure? I mean, what if it gets stuck or something?"</p><p>Again, Winter laughed. "That's the idea. It's called a 'plug' for a reason, you know." Then she licked her lips. "And I can get it out later, don't worry."</p><p>"Oh… I'm an idiot," she quietly chastised herself, looking downward in embarrassment. But thankfully, Winter never held it against her, so she simply got right back to work. Pushing the end of it further and further in, she watched the rest of it's length sink inside, until…</p><p>It was fully inside, sitting easily within her. The sigh was not just one of relief, it was also full of a deep contentment. This wasn't strange to Winter at all; she felt fully at home with a length of glass holding itself inside of her back door. Resting there, refusing to budge.</p><p>"Yes, Ruby… thank you."</p><p>"Wow… you took it so easy…" Though realising that could possibly have a rude implication, she suddenly stuttered instead, holding a hand up. "I-I mean as in, you must really enjoy this! Gosh… do you prefer this to the… <em>status quo?"</em></p><p>"Not necessarily," Winter sighed, shifting her hips from side to side. "But I do enjoy it quite a lot, to be sure. It's… comforting, and exciting at the same time. That probably sounds ridiculous, though."</p><p>"No no, I think I get it…" Though she tilted her head, observing the flared end of the plug that was still poking out of her. "At least… I might get it. Eventually… I'll bet if you said it to Blake or whoever else goes here, they'll get it." Unable to help herself, she reached down toward the base again. And gave one end a rather firm poke. "So you don't want it going in and out?"</p><p>Though Winter did shiver, she answered easily enough, "Not now that it's firmly in there. Although… I wanted to ask if you wanted to try something else. You can say no, if you like; not a problem."</p><p>"What is it?" She tilted her head, curious to see what else Winter had planned for their venture.</p><p>"Do you want to fuck me?"</p><p>Although her cheeks flushed red once more, she had to ask, "That's not what I'm doing?"</p><p>"Well, you are," Winter went on, hips still shifting back and forth slightly, the wetness of her lower lips catching the light. "But… I meant with either one of those dildoes, or the strap-on. Really fuck me hard. I'm primed and ready, and this will be an easy opportunity for you to check this experience off your list."</p><p>Suddenly the poor sub’s eyes snapped open wide. Winter hadn't even used the strap on for her at all yet, but now she was asking <em>Ruby</em> to use it? The tables really had turned this evening! "Wow… I-I mean… I would but.. a-are you sure? Can you handle that?"</p><p>All Winter did by way of response was raise an eyebrow.</p><p>"Well… Okay so you've handled more than that… dumb Ruby." But again, Ruby hesitated. She only looked at the bag for a while longer, continuing to debate. "Are you completely sure? Cause I mean… I'm a sub, doesn't this change the role?"</p><p>"Haven't you ever heard of a 'power bottom'?" Winter laughed. "But honestly, I'm just… so hot right now, I couldn't care less. Plus, the whole point of this arrangement is to show you how things work. Even if it's by you being on top. We can switch roles another time."</p><p>"Wow… you really want me to do this." She looked down at Winter's form again, and to the wetness between her legs. It was true, she was truly aching to be fucked, and fucked hard. How could she ever resist? So Ruby fetched the bag, rummaging through the items to pull out the strap on. "Well, guess I can't disappoint!"</p><p>The grin from the Dom was wide and eager. "Ohhh, yes. Yes, that definitely won't disappoint me in the slightest." Then she said much more reasonably, "And you won't, even if you're 'not good' at first; this is a teaching session now. I'll help you learn what to do and where to do it."</p><p>"Well, I'd better get this on, then." Giving herself a small nod of reassurance, she slid her legs through the straps, pulling the device up her legs as though it was a pair of underwear. Once at the top, she reached to tighten it in place, and then sat back to look at the new, large presence between her legs.</p><p>"J-just so you know…" She swallowed. The sheer size of it! And Winter wanted her to use this on her! The tables truly had turned completely, and Ruby's cheeks only got brighter. "I mean, it's probably obvious, b-but I've never used one of these before."</p><p>Since they had already discussed Ruby's inexperience, all Winter did was let out a small gasp of mock-surprise, one dainty, leather-covered hand at her mouth. To which in response, Ruby scowled, pulling up the sides again just to make sure it was fully in line.</p><p>"Ha-hah, very funny." Gently lowering Winter's leg from her shoulder, she shuffled over to change her position. Instead, she climbed on top of her, lining up the end of the shaft with the entrance to her sex. And for a moment longer, she teased again, brushing it right against the folds.</p><p>"Ohhhhh," Winter cooed, reaching up to perch her hands on Ruby's shoulders as she was ground against. "Mmmm, yeah, I'm so ready…"</p><p>"I can almost feel you." And she could. The way the length so easily slipped and slid over the folds could be felt against the base, right up against her crotch. Winter was ready and waiting, and she didn't want to disappoint any longer. With one hand, she supported herself against the ground, making sure to keep herself a comfortable distance. And with the other, she held the length, moving and adjusting it until it lined up with her entrance.</p><p>And once there, she pushed it in.</p><p>"Mmhhhhh!" Winter moaned, back arching off the floor as she was breached, feeling it slide in fluidly all the way to the hilt. Ruby was certainly wasting no time! Her eyes flew wide open as she weathered the intensity of the sensations, felt her body stretch to readily, thirstily accept its entirety.</p><p>It was a strange sensation. Even though she couldn't feel the warmth around herself, it was almost as if she <em>could</em> feel how accepting Winter was of the length from how easy the movement was. Drawing her hips back once more, she pushed forward again and again, staring down at Winter's ice blue eyes to watch her reaction.</p><p>"F-fuck… FUCK!" Winter gasped as she was entered over and over, head thrown back and eyes wide. "I'm s-so… full! There's so much inside of me! Ruby!"</p><p>Ruby could only move her hands to Winter's shoulders instead, holding her in support as she continued to fuck her harder and faster. Now that she knew Winter could handle all this, and practically feel herself that she was welcoming it, she was confident enough to pick up the pace. Already her own breath was peaking as she grinned; she knew she was doing a good job.</p><p>Very quickly, it became apparent that the Dom was becoming a complete mess. Thrashing back and forth, legs widening and breath coming faster. Even her tongue was hanging out by that point, so complete was her inability to articulate what was happening to her at her apprentice’s whim. And Ruby noticed, and could only smirk to herself. No wonder this was a position of power that Winter enjoyed on a few occasions; seeing someone come undone through the mere movement of her hips was astounding.</p><p>Testing how far Winter would let her get away with it, she whispered, "Look at you… pretty much sweating bullets down there." She leant in toward her further, continuing the brutal pace. "I'm driving you crazy, aren't I? Crazier than you've ever felt?"</p><p>The smile she shot Ruby was a deeply satisfied one; a fierce look of pride. Then she moaned, "Ohhhh, YES! Driving me insane! And I want more of it - more of you! Torture my cunt, it n-needs you!"</p><p>It was so strange to hear Winter talking so unhinged and eager. Especially when before she was so calm and composed in comparison. The fiercely blushing Ruby could only give in, trying to give her exactly what she wanted. Using Winter's shoulders for leverage, she pushed her firmly against the ground as she gave it her all, continually pounding that tight sex of hers with as much energy and speed as she could muster. She was determined to get Winter off no matter what.</p><p>Again, her head fell back and she allowed her mouth to hang open as Ruby ramped up her speed, as the friction inside her wet sex grew until she couldn't stand it – and she put up with even more, let her keep going. The climax was nearing, it was almost there! Meanwhile, her other two hands came up to touch lightly against Ruby's forearms, as if completing a circuit between them.</p><p>"Don't hold back," her sub begged, continuing to thrust hard while panting for her own breath. "Come… l-like I did for you! I wanna… make you come!"</p><p>All Winter could do was nod, not even able to form a coherent response. Digging in with her nails, she moaned, arching her back…</p><p>And felt pleasure explode within her. The twin sensations of being rammed into over and over while the presence in her ass maintained itself were too much, and she felt it running from tits to toes, screaming so much that it mixed with the echoes of the previous screams.</p><p>Incredible! Ruby could even feel her clamping onto it <em>through</em> the harness! Finally, she was sure she had given Winter an orgasm just as powerful as the ones she had given to her in the past, and all thanks to a simple plug in her rear end.</p><p>Talking of which; while she was still high from her gradually fading orgasm, she reached down to give it a very small tug against the muscles, hoping it would not only help loosen it for later, but make her high last that bit longer.</p><p>"O-ohhh!" Winter gasped out in surprise, spasming all over. "That's- Ruby, you kinky little puppy! Shit, that's so good, mmm…"</p><p>Not only did it make her sex clamp down again, but clearly, her hindmuscles were flexing against the other implement. Tugging at it yet again, she smirked. Having slowed her thrusting down to a complete stop, all she continued to do was tease with it, pulling and twisting in various ways. "Want me to take it out, Mistress?"</p><p>And her Dom smiled up at her, and delivered a somewhat unexpected response: "No."</p><p>"…Huh?" Immediately she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, slowly bringing the length back out of her at least. Releasing the plug, she asked, "How come? I mean… you got what you wanted, right?"</p><p>"Because I want to wear it," Winter half-sighed with a small shiver from being exited… in one area, anyway. "It's… a symbol of pride, I suppose; from my sub's first time on top. Besides the fact that I enjoy the sensation, even beyond this main session."</p><p>"I… o-oh." Completely red, Ruby looked down at Winter wide-eyed. It had more or less become a souvenir of sorts, a symbol that Winter wanted to keep a part of her even when the session was over. That filled Ruby with more joy than she cared to admit in front of Winter.</p><p>But as well as that, it made what was possibly coming harder. When she had been so sure she was going to leave Winter tonight, try out a new Dom, she was now unsure. Everything about their evening had been wonderful, and she wasn't sure she would ever get that treatment from another. Nor did she want to hurt her Dom's feelings. Deciding it best to say nothing for tonight, she simply looked down at the harness, asking, "Then, do you mind if I take this off? It's… weird seeing myself with a dick."</p><p>That caused Winter to giggle, and she said, "Of course not, silly! And… we don't have to put it on you again, anyway. I just thought you might want the practice in case you were asked to in a future encounter." Sitting up at last, she added with a smirk, "And might I say, you did very well your first try. Very, <em>very </em>well."</p><p>The smile on Ruby’s face never faded, even as she slid the harness down her legs and off completely. Once that was done, she could finally zip back up the open bottom of her outfit, sealing it off completely from any potential further contact. She had been sated.</p><p>"I'm glad," she spoke with glee, holding the harness in her hand. "Is there anywhere we can wash this? It's obviously kinda… soggy."</p><p>"Oh, um, I usually have some grocery bags in there for that. You know, to keep whatever toy from dirtying everything else until we can wash it." Her smile turned cunning, even if clearly only teasing. "We could put the tail in there, or… give it another try…"</p><p>Right away, Ruby's face went red again. Eyes widening, she began to stutter all over again. "I-I… Uh…"</p><p>"Kidding, kidding! We'll try it again someday." Picking up the tail herself, she nipped it into one of the previously-crumpled plastic bags and tied it off. "There. Out of sight, out of mind."</p><p>Put at ease by Winter's insistence, she smiled joyfully, grabbing one of the bags for herself to put the harness and strap on inside and nip it back into the bag of tricks. "So, I was thinking about having a look around… like, get to know a few more people, maybe even some of the other subs?"</p><p>"Oh?" Winter looked vaguely disappointed, but not to the point of sadness or anything. Smiling, she picked up the sack as she pushed to standing, wincing a little from the plug still lodged in her body. "Y-yes, that's fine. I might see about joining Glynda in the tub, or just look in on the other rooms. Um… can you hand me the bottom half of this getup? Bending over right now would be… difficult."</p><p>"Huh? Oh! Right." It was very tempting for Ruby to simply ask her to bend over regardless, but that would be too cruel. Fetching the leather underwear from where she threw them, she assisted in putting them on so she wouldn't be too uncomfortable. "Are you sure you wanna walk around the club with… <em>that </em>in you?"</p><p>"Wouldn't be the first time," she chuckled, adjusting the garment and shivering now and again. "Mmhhh… yes, that's quite nice." Noticing Ruby's dazed expression, she dipped her head slightly. "Sorry, you… I suppose you didn't want to see your Dom doing anything subby, did you? That's my fault. But once you didn't want to take the plug, things sort of naturally became less about scenes and more about just, playing around. Right?"</p><p>"Yeah… Yeah exactly." And she had to admit, although it was unusual to find her Dom in such a reverse of circumstances, it did get her rather hot under the expensive collar. Which made her remember, she was still in the pet play outfit. "Am I allowed to walk around like this if I'm not playing?"</p><p>"Of course! Whatever makes you comfortable." Then she shrugged and added, "It's not as if you have anything else to wear in here. So, unless you're ready to go streaking…"</p><p>"NO! Nope, I-I'm good! I just… yeah, just wondered." Shrugging herself, she headed to the door instead, holding her hand on the handle to be ready to leave. "I guess I'll meet up with you later when it's time to go?"</p><p>Waving with a pleasant expression, she replied, “Yep! I’ll see you around the club!”</p><p>"Have fun with Glynda!" That was the last thing she said before she shut the door behind her.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Well, you wussed out of that one…</em>
</p><p>That was the unfortunate train of thought Ruby was riding once she started to head back down the stairs to the main scene room again. She didn't even check to see if anyone else had left the viewing windows open just yet, as she was more interested in finding someone else to play with. Something to distract her from thinking she had failed.</p><p><em>Maybe it'll be easier to tell her over lunch or something,</em> she thought, re-entering the scene room. <em>Probably for the best, then there's no awkwardness of doing it right after we screwed. Like, who does that, anyway?! Super mean!</em></p><p>However, that train of thought was cut off when she thought she heard someone calling out to her, and glanced around. “Yoohoo!” called the raven-haired woman from earlier, locks swooped down to cover one of her eyes as she waggled her fingers in Ruby’s direction. “Little puppy!”</p><p>Curiosity resurfaced again. Winter said she wasn't overly fond of this woman, and she had no idea why. But that didn't mean she couldn't be polite, at least. Smiling back warmly, she made her way across the room toward her, giving a shy wave back.</p><p>"H-Hi!"</p><p>"Are you lost?" One hand reached out, caressing Ruby's neck teasingly before it trailed down to lift the little metal tag to get a better look at it. "'Lady'? Where's your master?"</p><p>Ruby couldn't help but shudder at the soft fingers caressing her so soon after her orgasm. This Dom was very confident, possibly even moreso than Winter herself. Swallowing and trying to remain just as confident, she said, "Our session finished, so I guess I'm just… wandering around."</p><p>The woman smiled, and it was both indulgent and sinister in the same moment. Amazing how she could pull that off. "Your master seems to trust her puppy. Either that, or she doesn't take good enough care of you." Her index finger slipped underneath her sparkling collar, tugging Ruby forward by force. "I'm Cinderella."</p><p>Uncertain eyes stared back into the fiery amber ones of 'Cinderella'. She had to resist the temptation to quiver; that would be giving away too much of her personal feelings. "Nice to meet you." She tried to keep smiling, even though the woman could probably scent her fear. "I-I'm… Well, my name seems to be Lady right now."</p><p>"Yes, it is." The hand then ran down Ruby's chest, gliding over her hip and lingering there. "Lady, would you like to play with me? If your master is… otherwise occupied."</p><p>Her breathing had began to hitch up already. The overwhelming confidence was both scary… and very, very attractive. Cinderella was certainly going to throw her into the deep end, it seemed. That was what she wanted, right? Winter had 'trained' her to be ready for others, others who would be rougher and harsher. And there couldn't be a safer place to try in the middle of the Clamp.</p><p>"Y-Yeah," she at first muttered, but then instead spoke louder. "Yeah, why not?"</p><p>The woman's firm-looking lips stretched into a smile. "Good." Then she pulled her entire body close, flush up against her own. Her expression remained unchanged, as if she had done nothing out of the ordinary. "Do you do kissing in play?"</p><p>Kissing was something she knew how to do, and something she had the most confidence in. "Yeah… I can do that."</p><p>As it turned out, Cinderella didn't ask twice. Her lips crashed into Ruby's a moment later, kneading and suckling at the bottom one. They were far hungrier than Winter's tended to be, moved faster, pushed in harder.</p><p>"MFF!" Forced into a deep kiss, Ruby made sure to give back as good as she got. Gnawing and biting at times, she already felt the woman's tongue brushing against hers. The hands grasping at her shoulders pulled her in tight, and Ruby felt all of her methods of escape disappearing.</p><p>But it seemed this wasn't going to be a brief contact. The kiss stretched on for another ten seconds before a tongue began to press in between Ruby's lips, using no small amount of pressure to let its presence be known. Ruby only continued to try and give back, trying to grasp at her temporary partner's shoulders for purchase; that was until Cinderella grabbed them just as hard, pinning her hands down and out of the way so she was helpless. There was no stopping her tongue, it seemed, which slid between Ruby’s teeth and sought out her own, sliding over it greedily and taking as it pleased. The Dom’s body began to rub up and down very gently, the studs belting the woman’s slight bosom gouging at the sub’s through her furry suit.</p><p>"Hmmm… Mmm…" It was difficult to figure out whether or not Ruby was moaning in pleasure, or grunting from the sheer overstimulation. Probably both. Still, she was in no mood to fight it, and only continued to kiss back and indulge in the moment.</p><p>Little did she know their moment would be witnessed.</p><p>"Listen," Cinderella cooed at last when she drew away from Ruby's mouth, both of them panting. "If you don't have to go wag your tail for your owner, why don't you come upstairs with me? I bet I can housebreak you."</p><p><em>Wow, that was quick.</em> Ruby was impressed with herself; she had managed to get herself another Dom to play with right away, and not even half an hour after her session! And yet…</p><p>Something was holding her back. She didn’t know why, but 'Lady' couldn't shake the feeling in her stomach that something was wrong with this sudden arrangement. While she felt needy and eager for the rough treatment, she was just as equally troubled by the actions, unsure of whether or not to take the offer. To disregard Winter’s warning.</p><p>"U-um… Well, I guess I c-could…"</p><p>The woman's smile was dark and pleased. "Excellent. I still have a room prepared from my last appointment. Care to step this way?"</p><p>But as they turned toward the staircase, they hadn't made it more than a single step when they saw both Winter and Blake Belladonna barring their way. The latter was wearing an outfit not unlike Ruby's, though it seemed to be that of a black cat with a grey underbelly, and black high heels with tufts of fur on top rather than paw-socks. A large golden jingle hung from her red collar. Somehow, none of that took away from the commanding, displeased expression on her face.</p><p>"Lady, <em>heel,"</em> Winter commanded, pointing down at her own boots. She didn't take her eyes of Cinderella.</p><p>Ruby looked back and forth between her temporary master and Winter, with widened eyes and a slightly more fearful expression. Not from what Cinderella was about to do this time, but from fear of disappointing Winter herself. She didn't know what to do other than stand here, looking back and forth between the two.</p><p>"Clearly, she doesn't belong to you anymore," her new Dom purred silkily, reaching up to caress the back of Ruby's head. "Poor Princess… can't keep her pets in line."</p><p>"Lady," Winter said again, voice quick and razor-sharp, like the crack of a whip. <em>"Heel."</em></p><p>Clearly this was more serious. Although she didn't want to insult a potential new Dom, she didn't want to anger Winter any further than she already was. Giving a pained smile to Cinderella in apology, she stepped forward to Winter – and as commanded, sank down to her knees once at her side.</p><p>"Good girl," she murmured. Then her eyes, flinty hard, raised up to glare at Cinderella, who was frowning with her arms folded over her chest now that she had lost her new plaything.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You know ‘what’. Sub-poaching is a pretty deceptive thing to do, and even worse when you know the other Dom wouldn't take kindly to it in this case."</p><p>Cinderella laughed, a low chuckle of derision. "And what makes you think you own this sub? What right do you have to her? We all know you're a mediocre Dom, at best; and she's a free woman."</p><p>"If being a mediocre Dom means you don't leave your subs in the cold when they need aftercare," Blake shot at the woman, "then I'd rather a mediocre one like Winter be on top of me than you any day."</p><p>Ruby was listening all along. Sub-poaching? So Winter really didn't want her to find anyone else from the sounds of it. Even if she wasn't feeling completely at ease by this mysterious woman's intentions, Winter wasn't even going to let her try for herself. They would be discussing that later for sure.</p><p>But when she heard the latter part, she froze up again. No one would really be that cruel, would they? Even though Ruby enjoyed cuddling after a session, surely not everyone wanted the same, right? It had to be a misunderstanding.</p><p>"H-hey, it's my fault. Don't blame her, I just wanted to see what she was doing."</p><p>"There, you see?" Cinderella agreed with her, spreading her hands wide. "Your little dog wanted to enjoy a turn with a more competent master, that's all. I wasn't going to steal her fro-"</p><p>"You were, and you know it," Winter growled, vibrating with anger even as she brushed her fingers along the crown of Ruby's head. "Everyone knows about your oily way of turning subs against their other Doms if you take a shine to them. You'd start small, just commenting on how I don't do this well, or how I'm 'too this' or 'too that', but… Lady, after a few sessions she would be telling you how I can't do those things at all in comparison to her. And before you know it, you're all alone in her house, sobbing because she pushed you somewhere you weren't ready, and all she'll do is order you to leave before you 'stain her carpet with such ugly tears'."</p><p>Beginning to listen that much more seriously, Ruby seemed to sink closer to the ground, hunching her shoulders again as she looked back to Cinder from Winter. While she wanted to experience another Dom, it seemed she had chosen the wrong one. The last thing she wanted was a session where she would be kicked out before she was ready.</p><p>Already feeling nervous again, she looked to the ground, and instead muttered, "I wanna go home now."</p><p>"We'll all go," Blake spoke up softly, still glaring at Cinderella.</p><p>"Fine," the raven-haired Dom snapped shortly. "She seems weak, anyway. You always prey on the weakest. I expect more strength from my subs - more than this, anyway." Turning toward the rest of the scene room, she cast back over her shoulder, "Let me know if you ever grow a <em>spine</em>, Lady."</p><p>That comment made her feel smaller than she could ever make herself physically. And it showed. All Lady could do was continue to stare at the ground with shrugged shoulders, unable to even bear looking up toward her master or Blake. She felt too humiliated.</p><p>The two upright women led the forlorn Ruby down the stairs and into the landing. However, instead of turning toward the bar, they went back to a door that was just past the two for the restrooms. Another set of stairs there led down into the basement - or, as Winter had called it earlier, the "recovery lounge".</p><p>"We'll spend a little time down here," Winter more muttered than said. "As long as we need."</p><p>Now that she was on her feet again, Ruby took a moment to take a good look around. The best word to describe it was soft. From one corner to the next, the ground was lined with mattresses and cushions, a softer, more welcoming service for people after a particularly hard session. On the floors were a few beanbags for people to sit and chat if a plush bed wasn't their preference. Thankfully, there were only a couple of people in the room to one side, so the area was mostly private.</p><p>"Anywhere you like," Winter said, standing just behind Ruby, a hand on her shoulder. "Take one of the beds, they're quite comfortable."</p><p>Ruby still wasn't up for speaking. She instead just nodded, wandering slowly toward the bed on the furthest side from the couple already present. There was plenty of room. Winter and Blake joined her, sitting on either side of her and gradually leaning her backward with their hands, supporting her back all the way until she was laying down. Then they curled around both of her sides, hands rubbing in small circles on her stomach. Neither of them spoke, only giving Ruby quiet comfort.</p><p>Though it was appreciated, Ruby still said nothing. She only continued to stare at the ceiling in deep thought. In a small amount of time, a lot had happened. She had a session, had been about to have another, only to learn that she had narrowly escaped a possibly scarring experience from a cruel Dom. But the thing that bothered her the most wasn't something that either of the two women would expect.</p><p>"Am I spineless?"</p><p>Both of them began to whisper and murmur things like "No, of course not" and "You're just fine" at once, neither of them making their voices very loud. It seemed to be that this wasn't their first visit to the lounge, and they had done similar for someone before – or had it done for them. It was a very comfortable atmosphere, with or without the two there to comfort her. That was probably why they were keeping their voices down, to maintain the soothing atmosphere.</p><p>Taking that into account, she continued in a much more hushed tone, "But… Cinderella said I was. Shouldn't I have just gone with her to prove I'm not?"</p><p>"Don't think that for a minute," Winter whispered softly as Blake snuggled her face between Ruby's neck and shoulder. "A spineless sub wouldn't have resisted the plug upstairs. You wanted to go with her to see what she could do for you, and… I'd like to think you didn't because you trust me more."</p><p>"I do trust you. But…" Seemed there wasn't much hiding of it anymore. Sighing, Ruby eventually looked down up at her. "Wasn't the point of our sessions that it’s training? Working myself up to more intense sessions so I'm ready for different Doms?"</p><p>"Of course. It's my fault for not elaborating when I told you she wasn't one you wanted to 'test' yourself with; I was hoping just telling you she was less than ideal would be enough, but from your perspective…" She sighed, snuggling closer. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"Is that stuff true?" That was something she wanted to get out of the way first. The other woman didn't exactly defend herself when the accusation was brought up, nor did she accept it fully. But still, Ruby had to know in a way that wasn't biased. "If I picked some other Dom and went upstairs with them, you would have been okay with that?"</p><p>Winter looked at her in some surprise at the near-accusation. "I would have. We always discussed that you would look around for more Doms, from day one. I think we did today, in fact, didn't we?"</p><p>"Well… I mentioned about coming downstairs to look around, but…" She found herself shrugging her shoulders. This was a slightly more awkward subject with Blake keeping them company. But she had to try her best. "I wasn't gonna tell you outta nowhere because I didn't know if you'd be offended if I did look…"</p><p>Even with Blake right there, she kissed Ruby's cheek tenderly. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, even inadvertently. Our agreement all along has been for me to train you, get your pretty feet wet. I…" Sighing, she glanced at Blake, indecisive for a moment, then went on boldly. "Perhaps you and I were doing a lot of sessions together, and I got used to having you around. Started thinking our arrangement might continue – but I didn't mean for you to think we were exclusive, or that I would stop you from trying out other Doms. I promise!"</p><p>Finally Ruby was starting to calm down again properly. Hearing that she hadn't offended Winter was such a relief to her that she couldn't even describe. And then there was how she felt about things. Winter clearly wanted their play to keep going, and enjoyed Ruby's company. She went out of her way to protect her, something that most Doms with their arrangement might not do. And even after she went against her wishes and approached Cinderella, she was still cuddling her, still kissing her face.</p><p>If she didn't know any better… she would consider Winter perhaps felt the same as her. Unable to help herself, she finally allowed herself to nuzzle against her master's side.</p><p>"There, there," Winter whispered, kissing the top of her head as Blake automatically curled around Ruby's back. "You haven't done anything wrong. I just had to order you back to me so you'd know I was very serious, that you needed to get away from her <em>immediately</em> so I could have time later to explain why."</p><p>Softly sniffling, Ruby pressed her face right into Winter's neck. While the furry outfit was warm enough, the warmth from the two women wrapped around her was more comforting than anything else she could think of. If only Penny were somewhere in this cuddling mix, then she would truly be in heaven.</p><p>"Is that what she did to you?" Ruby asked quietly. "I know you said you go for male doms, but… how do you know this?"</p><p>Winter grew silent. After a moment, Blake took up the slack, her hand coming up to caress Winter's shoulder as she spoke; offering comfort to two of them at once. "Most of us subs or switches have been burned by her at some point. If Glynda's upstairs, you should talk to her; she got a lot nastier with her than she did with the rest of us."</p><p>"You too?" Ruby managed to turn slightly to ask, blinking in surprise. So this woman had quite the reputation for wreaking havoc on her subs, and Blake and Winter had managed to spare her that fate. Still looking down toward bottom of the bed, she tried to look on the more humourous side. "Out of all the people here, I have to go and pick Cinderella, huh? Typical me."</p><p>The two taller women exchanged a glance. Then Winter asked very delicately, <em>"Did</em> you pick her, though? Did you <em>really?"</em></p><p>"Well…" Looking back up nervously again, she shrugged her shoulders. "She called 'Puppy' and I came, I guess?"</p><p>"Exactly. Cin's always on the lookout for new subs; she knows no one here is going to recommend her to a sub. So she has to keep her eyes open, find one who looks new or inexperienced."</p><p>"A classic predator," Blake breathed. "And honestly, there <em>are</em> worse Doms, ones who don't go by the book… she's just too emotionally detached to be trusted."</p><p>Ruby squirmed. "So she does go by the book, is what you're saying? Just she misses the aftercare part?"</p><p>"That's about right," Winter said. "So if you're a five-star sub with a dozen years of servitude under your belt, you'll <em>probably </em>have a great experience with her. Otherwise…"</p><p>"Otherwise you'll find yourself sobbing on her doorstep if you ever have a moment where you can't continue," Blake said. "She's fine if you tell her you need a moment alone, even though she acts like you're 'weak' for doing so. But she will leave and come back. If you need the session to stop…"</p><p>"Prepare to be kicked out of her home, or the room if you're here. She's not kind about it in the slightest."</p><p>"That's putting it lightly."</p><p>The last words didn’t come from anyone in the bed. Those three were so busy in their cuddling they hadn't noticed Glynda was stood at the end of the mattress. Now dressed in a more suitable skirt, shirt and jacket combo, she had just come out from the changing rooms. Given that her hair was still wet, she hadn't long ago gotten out of the tub.</p><p>"If you're talking about who I think you're talking about," she added.</p><p>"Queen Bitch herself," Winter sighed, nodding both left and right. "Pick a side, any side."</p><p>"I'll stick with you, Princess. Not that I dislike you, Blake; very nice outfit, by the way." Setting her bag of belongings down at the end of the bed, she climbed onto it just behind Winter. Joining in with what seemed to be becoming a cuddle pile, she allowed her hand to slide across Winter's stomach as she nuzzled up to her from behind.</p><p>But as Ruby remained in her position, still occasionally pushing up to Winter while also smiling at the closeness of Blake, she tried to look to their new addition. What sort of stories could she tell? Did she even dare ask?</p><p>"You can have a turn now, if you want," Blake prompted with a slight smile. "We weren't going into detail. Or you don't have to if you're not comfortable, Snowmane."</p><p>"Yeah, they said you got burned more than they did,” Ruby uttered. “Did she just leave you without doing aftercare?"</p><p>The nervousness in her voice was something Glynda could clearly detect. Ruby didn't want to be asking her this anymore than she particularly wanted to answer. "Cinderella is a manipulative, unfeeling sociopath who gets a kick out of seeing others suffer. Both physically and emotionally. And while some people like to be on the receiving end of that, she has no respect for boundaries. She'll keep pushing and pushing and pushing until you're forced to use whatever humiliating phrase she gives you to make it stop."</p><p>The hand that wasn't on Winter's stomach took a handful of the plush surface on top of the mattress. All the other girls could do was listen. Blake and Winter had both heard the story before, but this was all new for their youngest friend.</p><p>"If she even acknowledges you say it. Sometimes, when you're at her house, she can have very selective hearing… It can take quite a few tries at saying ‘Uncle’ before she actually realises you can't go on anymore." Looking down in shame, she took a deep breath. "It took its toll on me, I couldn't come back into this building for weeks, let alone allow myself to trust another Dom after that."</p><p>"Which is why she’s been after me to Dom her for so long," Winter whispered, reaching over her shoulder to caress Glynda's head and cheek. "I have sort of a reputation as a 'soft Dom', that I don't push enough, don't get rough enough. That's fine with me, since I prefer being a sub in the first place, but… I expect that she wanted someone like me to help her get past the fear."</p><p>"In the end, it was you that convinced me to come back, and you recommended me a few other, more reputable switches later. Now I'm more or less back to how I was - a little wiser, of course."</p><p>What was more surprising for Ruby wasn't what Glynda had gone through, as unfortunate as it was; it was how Winter had seemed to go the extra mile to get her back to herself again. This time a few years ago, she and Blake saw firsthand what Winter's own actions almost did to a member of her family, who was also a member of the queer community. But now, in direct contrast, here she was getting involved with all different people, helping them heal from the scars that others had left them. It was a truly pleasant surprise, and one that could only make her smile.</p><p>"I'd rather have someone who knows what it's like on the sub-end than someone who's purely a Dom, anyway," Ruby whispered. Winter smiled down at her, kissing her cheek tenderly. Almost <em>affectionately</em>. Before she could speak, however, Blake cleared her throat.</p><p>"You know… I don't think I could do anything sexual, because of my past with your sister. But if you just wanted practice being a pet, um… I could take your leash a couple of times."</p><p>Managing to turn slightly just so she could look at Blake, there was a small, yet mischievous grin on her face. "Really? Wouldn't a cat walking a dog just be like, against some kinda natural law?"</p><p>"I didn't mean <em>today</em>," she chuckled, smiling fondly at her. "But hey, it's up to you. Just thought I'd offer."</p><p>"Or I could walk both of you," Winter said easily, purposefully tracing her index fingertip over both of their cheeks. "Has been quite some time since I've been in charge of more than one sub at once. Which, I know, defeats the purpose of you finding new Doms; just sounds like potential fun."</p><p>Yet again Ruby's cheeks were lighting up. There was the possibility of a threesome now? She didn't know how, if at all, she could handle that. Rather than give a straight answer, she instead nuzzled her head forward into Winter's neck, groaning in embarrassment.</p><p>"That is true," Blake said in a reasonable tone of voice, as if they were discussing the weather. "I said I wouldn't be too comfortable banging Ruby, not that we couldn't both be banged by the same person…"</p><p>Winter kissed Ruby's cheek again, very lovingly and sweet, even as she said, "Strap-on for her, my tongue for you… could be interesting. I do enjoy the occasional <em>pussy</em>."</p><p>Against Winter, Ruby could easily be heard chuckling faintly. It wasn't until Winter leant in to listen she could hear Ruby mumbling, "You're giving Yang a run for her money with that pun."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey all! Decided to update both this and "Princess And The Dragons", partly because PATD wasn't even updated correctly last time lol and partly to make up for not posting at all during November. More to come much sooner, we promise!</p><p>Please <a href="https://rwbyremnants.carrd.co/">visit our Carrd</a> to stay up to date with us!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: <b>Winter/Ruby</b>: teacher/student roleplay, hot wax, scene interruption, under the table action, accidental exhibitionism, accidental parent/child incestuous feelings (no actions). </p><p>(Also, reminder that the Jacques Schnee in this story isn't very similar to the one in canon)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 7</b>
</p><p>"Oh wow… yep. That’ll be perfect."</p><p>Ruby and Penny had been discussing a few details about the session she would be going through with Winter for the evening, about how she was expected to already be in a particular costume and begin the scene as soon as she entered the door. What had Winter requested? A school uniform. It wasn't something that completely surprised Ruby, but was certainly new and unexpected. Her time at Signal High didn't require a uniform at all!</p><p>Thankfully, Penny had come to the rescue. They were both a similar size, and upon hearing Ruby's dilemma, she immediately offered up her old uniform for her to use. Penny had attended a high end private school in her youth in comparison to Ruby's public school, and knew that the uniform wouldn't come cheap. So she saw no point in allowing her girlfriend to go out and buy one when she had one stashed in the back of the closet.</p><p>Satisfied with how it fit on her, Ruby turned from the wardrobe to look at her girlfriend. "And you're sure I can use it for <em>this</em>, right? Like, no second thoughts?"</p><p>"Of course," Penny said, mostly focused on her laptop screen. "I do think it's strange, of course, but I'm also not using it at all. Why shouldn't you and Winter get some use out of it?" Then she sat back slightly. "There. What do you think about this? 'I am a highly-motivated Berkeley graduate, seeking to enter the workforce and to bring the skills I have gained there and from real life experience to my new employer in a field that offers potential for advancement.' Good, or is it too wordy?"</p><p>"Wordy is good! They're always looking for wordy. And if you go for an interview, you're just as smart when you talk as you seem on paper," Ruby complimented. Taking the jacket off the hanger she inspected it closer. Penny's fathers really didn't spare any expense; the material looked wonderful! It almost seemed a shame to use it for some clandestine purpose in Winter’s torture chamber.</p><p>"Alright," Penny sighed, finally looking up from her laptop. She gently, not saying anything for a moment. "You look wonderful today. I wish you had gone to my school; it really suits you."</p><p>"You think so?" she asked, placing the jacket gently on her bed so it was out the way for her showy little spin, one that made her giggle when she felt the skirt drifting up slightly. "It would have been kinda cool, but I think my dad would have missed me too much to let me stay there all that time."</p><p>"Probably true; he didn't want you to go to college where you did, either." Penny giggled as she picked up the little roll of black material that had been on the corner of her desk, standing up and crossing to the bed. "Now, you promised I could do the honours; that's the deal for getting to use it."</p><p>"You just wanna see up my skirt," Ruby teased. But not wanting to disappoint her partner, she held out one of her legs, giving her toes a small wriggle to tease further. "Ready!"</p><p>"Sit," she ordered, and Ruby did so. Then she took the ankle and gave each toe a delicate kiss. It was different than Winter's reaction to her feet; while she seemed to be drawn to them magnetically, against her will, Penny simply enjoyed doting on the smallest, most insignificant parts of her romantic partner. Who just giggled in response. She always enjoyed how tender Penny was toward the simplest parts of her. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes! Waiting patiently as Penny pulled up the tights, she blushed again.</p><p>"And you don't mind if these… rip, do you? The tights, I mean."</p><p>"Not the tights. The rest of the outfit, I would appreciate it if you tried your best not to harm it. At least, not in a way that can't be fixed with dry cleaning." Picking up the second stocking, she again kissed Ruby's toes as she said, "But Winter had better not harm these little piggies or I would be very upset."</p><p>"Oh, she won't." Chuckling to herself once more, that actually reminded Ruby of another subject to do with Winter. One that she hadn't actually mentioned to Penny yet. "Funnily enough… she actually likes feet. A lot. It's something I didn't expect."</p><p>"Really?" Penny asked, hands only halfway raised to put on the other stocking at last. She glanced down at the feet, one covered and one not, then back up at Ruby's face with a slight smile. "Well, why shouldn't she? They are adorable; yours especially."</p><p>"Yeah I guess toes are kinda cute and small, but like, <em>sexy?</em> I mean, I got nothing against it, whatever floats her boat." She smiled again, pushing the foot into the stocking as Penny held it open. "Winter's really mysterious like that. I barely know any of her kinks."</p><p>Penny's smile was gentle as she tugged the stockings into place perfectly, then reached down and picked up the fabric-covered feet, cradling them fondly in her hands. "They are nice. I mean, as far as I can tell, since 'sexy' is a strange concept for me. So I will defer to Winter." The smile turned mischievous as she kneaded into the soles with her thumbs. "What if… I had control of one of them, and Winter had control of the other? Would you enjoy that?"</p><p>"Hmm…" Looking upwards as she allowed herself to relax, Ruby rolled her foot slowly into Penny's motions, softly groaning from how pleasant it felt. "Both massaging? Well, hey, I like being pampered…"</p><p>"Massaging for me. I'm not sure what Winter's preferred activities are." Again, she kissed the feet through her stockings and then picked up her saddle shoes, slipping them on. "Have… you talked to her about your romantic feelings yet?"</p><p>Deeply sighing, that once relaxed smile faded away. Instead she leant forward again, staring into nothingness. "No… I still don't know if I should. I don't know if Winter's Aro or not, but she's never really had a relationship, or dated or anything. Maybe she doesn’t want that with me, and it might just make things weird."</p><p>As Penny continued tying her shoes for her, she said reasonably, "Well, you can't know if you don't ask. Perhaps you should pose it to her as a question; simply find out whether or not she would be open to doing romantic things with you. If she says no, then you don't have to tell her that you're already feeling that way."</p><p>"Penny, you know me better than anyone else. You know I'm not that slick. She'll see through that a mile away." Resting her chin on her hands, she continued to stare out blankly, already giving up without trying.</p><p>"Oh, Ruby…" The job done, Penny got up and sat next to her girlfriend, hugging her close. "You're a beautiful, sweet, wonderful woman. If she's going to feel romantic feelings for anyone, why wouldn't it be you? And if she doesn't, then I'm sure it's only because she doesn't feel that way about people – the same way I don't feel sexual desire for people." Then she lowered her voice and added, "Though I can make exceptions for my little Rubáiyát."</p><p>That had managed to bring a smile to Ruby's face. Somehow Penny always seemed to manage that with her, even when she was in her lowest of moods. Turning to face toward her, she wrapped her arms back around her partner, giving her a big kiss on the cheek before she nuzzled against her. "And you are just as sweet, just as beautiful; inside and out. You're so good to me, Penpen."</p><p>"Just protecting my investment," she joked in a gentle tone; an old joke for them. "Love you."</p><p>The smile turned into even more of a grin as she nuzzled again, softly stroking her shoulder. "Love you more."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>For the thirteenth time, at the very least, Winter checked the clock on the wall. Resisted temptation to call Ruby, or text her; to triple-check she was on her way, since she had passed double-check quite some time ago. As she sat in the chair, legs crossed and one shoe bobbing up and down anxiously, the elder of the Schnee sisters again reconsidered why she cared so much. For most subs, if they were on time, that was fine. For Ruby… being on time wasn't good enough. She wanted her there much earlier, so they could begin right away; have plenty of time to chat once their session had ended.</p><p><em>Because you care about this one,</em> a small voice in the back of her head whispered. <em>Too much.</em></p><p>She silenced it with a physical wave of her hand. Yes, she obviously cared about Ruby; she was a friend and a sister-in-law, besides her favourite person to dominate. Those were plenty of reasons to cherish her greatly. And if she found herself fantasizing about more than simply deriving sexual pleasure from the girl…</p><p>If she found herself wishing she could wake up next to her more than just the once in her life…</p><p>The sound of the doorbell shattered those thoughts, and she now found herself grateful. Pulling out her phone, she sent Ruby a quick text, smirking to herself all the while. It was time to begin.</p><p>Just as eager to start, but anxious for what was to come, was Ruby. She patiently waited outside the door to her Dom’s flat, holding her hands in one another to try and maintain her focus. This was to be slightly different from their last sessions, in that she would be thrown straight into the role. No preparation, no film and drink. They had already agreed on the terms over the phone, with their usual safety word in place. As soon as Winter would open the door, they were in-scene.</p><p>The text only read: <em>Door unlocked. Come to the office, first door on right; bring in what's outside</em>.</p><p>“She really is prepared,” Ruby breathed to herself Quickly pushing open the door and stepping inside, she shut the door tight behind her; she saw no point in locking it, not with Winter's reassurance that her roommate was out for another weekend. Besides, she had not been instructed to do so. Following the message to the letter, she headed straight for the hallway, toward the office.</p><p>Sat outside the door was a backpack. When Ruby picked it up, it didn't seem to weigh much. Just an average school bag. No doubt she expected Winter wouldn't want her to look inside until she got in the room, so she didn't. Finally, she turned the knob on the door, slowly pushing it open.</p><p>The room was very different from when she had glanced in before; then, it had been a fairly dull office space. A few filing cabinets, a fine oak desk, and a potted plant… and literally nothing else. Just a place for Winter to do some of her work when not upstairs in the main Schnee offices. Now…</p><p>Now it was a <em>classroom</em>.</p><p>“Whoa...” she couldn’t help breathing as she gaped at her surrounding. The dull painting that had hung on the far wall had been replaced with a blackboard, and the couple of other comfortable chairs vanished in favour of smaller student desks. There were only two, but that was enough for realism's sake, given that this was for play. A globe stood on one of the filing cabinets, and there was now a bookshelf with a full Encyclopædia Britannica racked up along its planks. Winter's own desk was the same, but the contents on top had been changed out for a syllabus, a stack of papers to be graded… and a shiny red apple.</p><p>"You're late," Winter said in a firm tone from where she sat. Though Ruby could only see her from the waist up, she could see one of her crisp white blouses that she wore to work had been augmented with a cardigan, the sleeves tied around her neck so the rest draped over her back.</p><p>"S-sorry, Miss Schnee!" That seemed to fit the role. Ruby had guessed they were doing a teacher-student thing, but not for the entire office to be changed so drastically! Straight away she went to take one of the seats – the closer one, as Winter expected her to, resting the bag on the table.</p><p>"You are already in trouble, so the least you could do is be punctual for your punishment." Then she sighed, a very slight cloud forming in front of her mouth, and set about straightening a few of her papers. "And I am sorry about how cold it is in here; the heat is inferior in this room, and with only the two of us in here to lend our body heat…"</p><p>"O-oh…" Thanks to the jacket, Ruby hadn't noticed just yet. She had only just opened the bag: a few blank books, some papers, and a pencil case. Her student didn't know if they would be used or not, but it was worth getting them out anyway just to make sure. "It won't happen again," she reassured, setting them on her desk. "And… do you want me to write lines, Miss?"</p><p>"Yes I do." Picking up a pair of square-framed spectacles, she pushed them onto her face as she scooted her own chair back. "Given that you aren't much of a troublemaker in my art class, I see no reason to make it too strenuous. Let's say… fifty times. And nothing too long, either."</p><p>Then Winter rose and turned to the board. From there, Ruby could see she had her now-red hair in a bun, and was wearing one of the tightest black pencil skirts she had ever seen. Her hand grasped a piece of chalk, then wrote in loopy cursive on the board:</p><p>
  <em>I, Ruby, have been naughty.</em>
</p><p>"Okay… I can do that." First thing first, she opened the notebook on the first page. Although she was expecting it to be clean, she was mistaken…</p><p>Right there, on page one, was a large heart in brilliant red marker. In the middle of it was written in blue, "Ms. Schnee + Me". There were a dozen little hearts drawn around it, as well, in various hues and sizes. So dark was the press of the marker that the next several pages past it had experienced bleed-through.</p><p><em>Oh GOD.</em><span> Ruby's</span> face went bright red. Not only was she already distracted by the resemblance Winter had to her teacher that she had once described, something that had prompted double take; but Winter had embarrassingly marked the notebook for her! Straight away she could be heard loudly turning the pages, trying to find a single one where there wasn't anymore bleed-throughs and eventually, halfway into the book, she found one.</p><p>Sighing in relief, she then went to unzip the pencil case. Only to find that wasn't the only surprise. The first thing to emerge was a pencil, of course; it rolled neatly up against the spiral of the notebook. After that rolled out a small plastic device, shaped like an overlarge medicine capsule, about the size of her thumb. It seemed to be twistable at the centre. There were other things inside the bag, too indistinct to see without tumping them out, as well… but even in shadow, they certainly didn't look like school supplies.</p><p>Blinking again in surprise, Ruby was beside herself. There were rather suspicious items in there, and love notes all over her book. And with how well Winter now resembled her old teacher, she didn’t know what to do besides take the pencil in her left hand to begin writing, and cover her mouth with her right in a vain attempt to try and hide the intense blushing she now has all over her face. This “lesson” was going to drive her mad.</p><p>Shivering as she sorted through her papers, Winter said, "This won't do. Hang on, I think we have…" Opening one of the lower desk drawers, she made a good show of rummaging around for something in there. Up came a candelabra of long tapers, and two smaller candle holders with small, squat red candles in them.</p><p>"Keep to doing your lines," she said offhandedly as she saw Ruby looking, producing a box of matches. But when Ruby looked up again, she couldn't. She had scarcely even written three lines, before she realised what Winter was doing. She was playing directly into the kinks she described; the teacher-crush, and the wax play. At least, she expected that was what they were for. Winter didn't just do decoration for the sake of it.</p><p>But when her “teacher” looked up again, Ruby quickly got back to it before she could say another word, quickly writing more lines as fast as she could. Nodding in satisfaction, Winter finished lighting the candelabra, then blew out the match. The room filled with the acrid smell of sulphur as she flicked it into the bin. Then she used one of the tapers to light the two smaller candles.</p><p>"This isn't much, but I hope it will help," she sighed as she stood, carrying the smaller ones over. The minute she came around the desk…</p><p>A powerful scent of strawberries filled the air between them. The tapers might have been simple wax, but clearly those two weren't. Unable to help herself, Ruby hummed; the scent was relatively strong, enough to relax her a little more. But not enough to ignore the still wonderful sight of Winter. She had <em>nailed</em> the look of her old teacher perfectly, from the shades to the bun. Not only that, but the outfit she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination, either.</p><p><em>Hey, I wonder if she's still wearing that plug from the other session.</em> But the instant that thought crept into her mind, Ruby pushed it down, trying to get back to her lines. <em>You dummy! She wouldn't have kept it in for that long!</em></p><p>But after her twentieth line, she thought, <em>Then again, she could have always put it in again for you before you got here, maybe…</em></p><p>The clack of her black heels against the white tile floor gave nothing away, whether or not Winter had a plug inside of herself. When she bent away from Ruby to set down the first candle on the other desk, showing her pert, rounded posterior, there was nothing sticking out too obviously that Ruby could see. However, when she turned back with the other one, she found herself face-to-face with the girl.</p><p>"Miss Rose, what were you doing a moment ago?"</p><p>Looking up from the lines and toward her, she found her shoulders shrugging as more. Rendered utterly speechless as per the norm with Winter, she stuttered and stammered, trying to come up with some form of response. "U-uh… I-I was, um… w-working on my lines, Miss Schnee?"</p><p>"I… thought you were watching…" Shaking her head slightly as if to rid it of a stray thought, she reached to place the candle on the corner of Ruby's desk - and knocked the small pink object to the floor. "Oh, your eras-"</p><p>Her voice cut off when a quiet vibrating filled the air.</p><p>Immediately, the blushing on Ruby's face got even worse. This was so embarrassing, even if it was part of the session! She looked straight back at her lines again, red as the apple on Winter's desk. All she could say after that was, "That's not mine! I swear!"</p><p>As Winter picked it up, Ruby was granted a generous glimpse of cleavage; not as much as Winter might have shown her otherwise, but a little just above the knot of her cardigan. A little pendant hung down, swinging back and forth above her ample bosom, which was cut off by a lacy black bra. She couldn't resist taking a peek at that. Blinking repeatedly while Winter collected her “eraser”, she continued to stare. God, how she wanted to just get on with things and for them both to have their way…</p><p>No, she had to wait. Had to wait for whatever punishment Winter had lined up.</p><p>"Well, this…" Winter blinked at it in mild confusion for a moment, playing her part well. Then she cleared her throat nervously, twisting the device to end the noise. "You must have taken out this… <em>neck massager</em> instead of your eraser."</p><p>"Yeah, I must have! C-clumsy me!" Ruby giggled nervously, though soon got back to her writing again. She had to, it was the only thing keeping her sane anymore. But the fifty lines were done long before she thought they would be. On to whatever she had planned next. "Done, Miss."</p><p>Having just settled both candle and "massager" on the desk, she looked down and said, "Have you, already? Then… hmm." She leaned down and placed one hand on the side of Ruby's desk, the other draped over the back of her chair as she leaned down to study the lines.</p><p>Her chest was now so close that it was resting just the slightest bit on Ruby's shoulder. Already, she could feel her breath beginning to hitch up, her body temperature heating up. If Winter wasn't an agent for her favourite popstar and sister-in-law, she would suggest a teacher would be a good role for her.</p><p>"Very good so far. Now then… how about we try fifty more lines, something else? When you finish that, you can move on to your homework." Her hand trailed very lightly over the back of Ruby's neck as she drew away and walked back up to the chalkboard.</p><p>"Hmm…" She lightly shuddered when feeling the soft fingertips, finding herself watching quite closely. Each sway of her hips was alluring. Biting her lip gently, she asked, "What lines do you want next?"</p><p>Raising her delicate hand, this time Winter arched her back slightly as she erased the previous line, causing her plump backside to be more prominent. Then she went for the chalk and wrote:</p><p>
  <em>I wanted Ms. Schnee to punish me.</em>
</p><p>Once again, Ruby swallowed in fear of what was to come. Winter was simply building it up, but it was already going to her head. She could feel herself beginning to heat up more and more as she began writing on the next page, trying to be as neat as possible to impress her.</p><p>Meanwhile, Winter seated herself for a minute, pretending to go over her lesson plan. Who knew what was written in there, if anything; perhaps she had even borrowed it from an actual teacher. Either way, she was certainly dedicated to making the scene authentic. That was what managed to get Ruby going the most: Winter had gone all out once again to make this as best an illusion as she could. Right down to the shiny apple.</p><p>A few minutes later, she sat upright again. Lowering her pencil, she cleared her throat and announced, "Finished, Miss Schnee!"</p><p>Without looking up from what she was "working" on, Winter said in a dispassionate voice, "Bring your notebook up here, please."</p><p>Swallowing again, Ruby held the notebook open to the right page as she rose from her seat. Pacing over, she did as she was asked, placing her punishment on her temporary teacher’s desk. Her only hope was that 'Miss Schnee' wouldn't turn the page.</p><p>Winter barely glanced at it, too absorbed in her lesson plan. From where she stood, it could be seen that she had filled it out, after all: the page was open to the current date. Written in very bold letters was: <em>Alone time with little Rose. </em>Blinking in surprise, Ruby couldn't help but begin to read the parts of the page she could see. For now, most of her arm had covered the rest up, but she read the next item on the itinerary quite easily: <em>Get her undressed.</em></p><p>Finally, Miss Schnee did glance up at the notebook, then further up at Ruby, as if she had forgotten she was standing there all the while. "Yes?" she asked.</p><p>"O-oh! Um, sorry." Ruby anxiously shrugged her shoulders again. "Do you want me to sit back down?"</p><p>"Please. You should still have your art homework to complete." She started to turn back to her syllabus, then looked up with a slight smile. "These individual projects were fun to choose for my students. Have you taken a look at yours yet?"</p><p>"I-I haven’t," she admitted, slowly walking back to her seat again and pulling the chair out. But before she sat… "Remind me again, Miss Schnee?"</p><p>"You should have it in your bag, I hope," Winter sighed in an aloof tone, flipping a few pages back and forth in the lesson plan. "In the envelope I gave you earlier today. If not, then I'm not sure what else you'll do for the rest of detention."</p><p>"Oh, sorry! I… Forgot." She quickly made the excuse, taking her seat and picking up her bag from the ground to rummage through it's contents. Sure enough, there was the envelope that Winter spoke of, still sealed. Taking it and opening it up, she took the note from it and began reading.</p><p><em>Please take your time and do as good a job with this as you can, with whatever media you see fit; pencils, pastels, or paints. It counts for a quarter of your grade.</em> Then, behind the note, was a picture…</p><p>And what a picture. It was an eight-by-ten glossy photo of Winter, sitting forward in a wooden chair with her wrists bound in the small of her back, facing away from the camera. One eye was looking back over her bare shoulder, but with the blindfold and ballgag, it was hard to tell for sure it was her.</p><p>For a moment, Ruby had to hide the photo from view. Winter seemed to have discovered that even though she was no Dom, Ruby enjoyed seeing her in such a submissive state just as much as she enjoyed being dominated by her. After regaining her composure, she pulled the selected picture back out again, taking a closer look. Even if it was presented without context, it was truly a beautiful photo; well-lit, the angle was perfect. How much more had she spent on this good of a photographer alone?</p><p>Able to sense she was being watched by Winter, she quickly placed the picture back down, covering it with her pencil case. "U-uh… I was just… Uh…"</p><p>"Doing your homework?" Winter prompted with a bemused smile, making a gesture over toward Ruby with her red pen. "That's the idea, isn't it? Just do your best; you know I grade on effort and overall improvement, so don't worry about if it's 'perfect' or not."</p><p>"Cool, cool… I think I know what I can do."</p><p>Taking out a sketchbook that Winter had placed within the bag, she went through the pencil case again. Perfect; a black ballpoint pen. It had been a long time since Ruby last made art, but whenever she did, her weapon of choice was ink. She began to roughly sketch the basic outline, mastering the different shades by the amount she had to scribble against the page. She began with the darker tones first, the small of her back against her bound hands, continuing up her arms and the rest of the piece. It was quick and rough, but the shape was pretty accurate to the photo.</p><p>Ruby was just putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece when Winter's voice reached her, sharp and clear even though it was still on the other side of the room. "What… what is the meaning of this?"</p><p>It was enough of a distraction to cause one line to go slightly too far. Probably something Winter wouldn't notice, but something Ruby cursed herself inwardly for. Looking up, she asked, "What? What is it?"</p><p>The teacher was holding open Ruby's notebook, still with the other hand gripping the cover as if to close it. As if she had accidentally flipped to the front page and was on point of closing it the rest of the way… when she saw. Her eyebrows were knitted in very convincing confusion.</p><p>"Is… this some kind of joke? One of your friends teasing you?"</p><p>Her time drawing had completely wiped her memory of the embarrassing notes in the book. And now there they were, right in her face. "I… U-Uh… I don't know h-how that… I-I…"</p><p>"This looks like your handwriting," the woman persisted. Her voice had been sharp before, but seeing Ruby's reaction was causing it to grow softer and softer. "Like it…" Finally, she closed the cover as she coughed into her fist, eyes on the other side of the rectangular-framed spectacles averted. "But you can't have feelings like that. This is a v-very cruel joke to play on your teacher and I am not amused."</p><p>"I'm so sorry," she began, looking down at the table in shame. Unfortunately the fact there was a picture of her bound and gagged right in her vision wasn't helping; it was only making her core heat up all the more, and the blush to flare up once again. "I-I don't know what I was thinking. I was just… I-I…"</p><p>But Winter had opened it again, staring down at the garish heart. Her cheeks were getting a little pink themselves, though not nearly so much as Ruby's. After another second, she closed it again and shook her head, standing up and striding around her desk.</p><p>"We can't have this going on. It could lead to a lot of unpleasant questions for both of us, you understand?" Then she very carefully added, "Regardless of… whether or not this is a joke."</p><p>"I swear, Miss Schnee, I didn't mean to embarrass you!" Even if it wasn't something she did at all, she still felt humiliated by the sheer insinuation of it. Slowly she looked up toward her again, eyes still wide and nervous.</p><p>"I know you didn't. You've always been a near-perfect student. It's… been a real pleasure having you in my class, Ruby. Every day, I looked forward to seeing you most of all." Clearing her throat as if realizing she had gone a bit too far, she instead walked closer to Ruby's desk. "How is your project coming along?"</p><p>That filled Ruby with a bit of confidence. Picking up the paper, she turned it in her direction immediately. It was a rough drawing, but more than enough for Winter to see Ruby's style of artwork. Scratchy edgy lines with different pressures tones the piece, with softer lines in the light parts to keep it reasonably neat. It was a talent Ruby rarely displayed anymore, but she wanted to do a good job.</p><p>For just a moment, Winter was completely speechless. Her mouth opened several times, closed again, opened. Then she finally whispered, "Strawberries."</p><p>That made Ruby raise her eyebrow. She lowered the piece again, suddenly seeming a lot more nervous than she was in play - which was now paused. "Did I do something wrong?"</p><p>"Ruby, that's really good," she hissed, barely moving from her position. The Dom seemed to be desiring not to break from their play too much. "Sorry, wow, I just wasn't expecting… I'm honestly really impressed you did that just while we were in here."</p><p>"Really?" Turning the drawing back to herself for a moment to take another glance, she began to smile again. Turning it back, she asked, "Did you wanna keep it after this? I mean… it wouldn't be this good if the photo wasn't top notch. Did you hire someone to do that?"</p><p>"Yeah," Winter whispered, biting her lip and smiling as she nodded. "It was an ad on KinkHub that I answered; the shoot was free, so long as he could have free reign with the pictures that didn't clearly show my identity. Like that one, because of the blindfold and gag."</p><p>"It's… I mean, I know for you both, it's a kink thing, but it's sort of an artsy pic," Ruby noted, placing the drawn image down right by the photos side. Bar a few slight flaws a casual observer would never notice, it was more or less a perfect copy with the shading. Clearly no one had seen Ruby's art skills apart from teachers and her father.</p><p>"Thank you. And sorry, I just had to stop play because, I mean, my next move was going to be yelling at you and demanding to know what you had drawn. I wanted you to know first that I thought your drawing was truly exceptional."</p><p>Her face was glowing with pleasure as she stood there, still holding the notebook full of lines. Even though she was still blushing wildly, Ruby was grinning from ear to ear, looking down again to her rather quick drawing. When she realised there was one final touch she needed to do. Taking the pen again, she quickly signed and dated one of the corners, before pushing it back beside the photograph, looking up with the still beaming smile.</p><p>"I hope you'd like to keep it, then. All yours!"</p><p>"It should be in a gallery somewhere, but… I'd be honoured." Clearing her throat, Winter seemed to come back to the moment. "Right, then - sorry, that really was bad form to stop play, but I couldn't have concentrated until I let you know how talented you are. Ready to begin again?"</p><p>Scratching the back of her head for a moment to compose herself, Ruby simply continued to smile happily. It was an honour to hear Winter's delight with her drawing more than anything else. But now that she knew where the play was going, she had to sit back down and recompose herself. "Begin play."</p><p>Winter's eyes slid closed, and she took a deep, slow breath in. When they opened again, they looked shocked, very realistically. "Wh… what on earth have you drawn, Miss Rose?! What <em>is</em> that?!"</p><p>This time, it was a little more obvious she was acting more than normal, and she seemed to withdraw into a shell, drawing the image back toward her. That, of course, revealed the photograph right next to it. "I-I… That was the photo I got! See?!"</p><p>"No, you…" The "teacher" gulped, her hand trembling as she reached toward it. "No, no, you couldn't have - there's no… I d-didn't- you were supposed to have a still life of nature, I'm sure- how did you find this?!"</p><p>"It was in the envelope, Miss Schnee," she said rather shyly, pushing the photo toward her. "I th-thought… you gave it to me on purpose – like you were making a pass at me or something, I didn't know!"</p><p>Her eyes swiveled between the two images, the original and the artist's rendering. Then she looked back up at Ruby, her cheeks a deeper red and a guilty look coming over her. "It wasn't on purpose. I… I know how this seems, but… Miss Rose, I would appreciate you not telling anyone that this happened. I promise you, I didn't…" Her chest began to heave, and her voice turned into a harsh whisper. "I am not the sort of woman who harasses her students!"</p><p>"I never assumed that!" she squeaked out. Unfortunately now that she was more clued in about the subject of play, the words didn't sound genuine. Something she would have to work on in future perhaps. "You said that our subject for this assignment was 'helplessness', right? That's what I assumed this was. There are so many ways it can mean that!"</p><p>"W-well, I guess that's a funny coincidence…" Under her breath, she whispered, "That was supposed to go to Glynda; I must have sent her the picture of a dog with its head stuck in the bannister. Wonder what she thought of that…"</p><p>"Possibly not as sexy as this image…" But in her haste to make a joke in character, she realised what she had let on instead, and immediately looked wide eyed. "I-I mean, I don't- well, n-not that <em>you</em> aren't sexy! Well you <em>are </em>but… I-I…"</p><p>Winter's eyes were wide as she stared at Ruby, cheeks still rouged. After a few more seconds, she shakily asked, "You… weren't trying to play a prank on me, were you? When you drew thi- OOP!"</p><p>The notebook caught the edge of the candle as she brought it up to show Ruby again, knocking it over. Most of the hot wax landed on the table, but a drop of it splashed onto the back of the student's bare hand.</p><p>And instantly Ruby found herself yipping loudly. She brought her hand in by instinct, but by then the wax had already cooled onto her skin. Before then, however, it was very satisfying to feel the warm sensation – just enough to send a tingle or two down her spine and make her sigh with enjoyment.</p><p>"O-Ooohhh…"</p><p>"Are you alright?!" Winter demanded, laying the notebook on top of the photograph as she snatched up Ruby's hand, bringing it in toward her face to examine the spot of wax closely.</p><p>Face reddened again, she realised that she had done the worst thing; moaned out loud in enjoyment. Way to hold back! Drawing her hand away again, she nervously looked down. "Y-yes, ma’am! Sorry, I'm fine! Just… Just surprised me! Y-you know how dorky I am!"</p><p>The woman didn't quite look satisfied. "You're sure? I could get you some ice, or…" Almost as an afterthought, she reached back and righted the candle. "What you must think of me today, giving you obscene homework and burning you…"</p><p>"No way, Ms. Schnee," she reassured, rectifying her desk a little more to place the photo on top of her artwork. At least then Winter had the option of taking it back if she wished, or even just leaving it till the end. In truth, Ruby just enjoyed seeing it. "You… you could never do anything wrong. You're the best teacher."</p><p>"No… no, I am not." Taking up the hand again, she looked at the little disc of wax clinging to it. Her thumb brushed over the spot very gently, frowning down at it. "The best teacher isn't one who… who could hurt her student the way I have."</p><p>"It was an accident." With it only being a thin drop, she brushed it to one side. If any more had spilled onto her, that would be a much harder task to get rid of, but this wasn't the case at all. Ruby then looked back up to her, cheeks turning red as she bit her lip. "Besides… wax doesn't exactly hurt me."</p><p>"Thank goodness it doesn't." Winter's soft lips drifted so close to Ruby's hand that her shallow breath could be felt, warm on the slightly red spot where the wax had been a moment before. Then she looked up. "I… what am I doing? You don't want me to kiss it and make it better; I'm not your parent."</p><p>"You're not, no… but…" How could she keep this going and play into the role? It was proving rather challenging when she just kept imagining it as her previous teacher. But eventually she smiled up at her again. "You are my guardian while I'm in this building. And that means you can."</p><p>Unable to hold back any longer, Winter pressed her lips into Ruby's flesh. Once she did, she seemed unable to stop, kneading into it over and over, leaving tiny wet spots as she went. Her eyes closed, in bliss at being granted such an opportunity with her student… who began to smile again. All she could do was push her hand further into the kisses, offering her up more and more to play with. Oh, how she loved being pampered by her favourite teacher; something no other student would get. Despite the fact that the class size was exactly one.</p><p>When she finally drew away, Miss Schnee looked up at Ruby with heavy-lidded eyes. Licked her lips, swallowed. Then she whispered, "I… absolutely should not… have done that, Miss Rose."</p><p>"I didn't mind." And she didn't at all. Given that she was pushing the hand further toward her again, she more insisted it was kissed than anything. "I was enjoying it, a lot."</p><p>"No, no, this is a problem." The teacher stood, taking the photograph with her and staring at it as she strode to her desk, then turned around and gazed at Ruby fearfully. "You should never have seen this. And I should never have seen what's in your notebook. Some lines are… are not meant to be crossed."</p><p>"Maybe not, Ma’am." She would have kept to her desk, but when Winter was over there, backlit by the candles present on her desk, it was impossible to resist. Walking over and placing her art by the photo, she looked gradually toward her teacher again, blushing scarlet. "But now… it seems we're on the same <em>page</em>."</p><p>The teacher stared down at the desk at the two images, her fingertips running over the ink In the sketchbook. Then she whispered, "That doesn't make it right that… if I take advantage. You said it yourself: I am in charge of you. I should be telling you to go back to your seat right now."</p><p>But she wasn't. Instead, Winter stood there, breathing hard as she glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, caressing the drawing as her other hand clutched the edge of her desk. Half closing her eyes, Ruby made her need for her teacher as obvious as she could. She made sure to stand close to her teacher, unbearably close; despite how much her breath was hitching up.</p><p>"But you don't want to," she began, looking straight into the icy blues of Winter's. "And maybe I… want to be taken advantage of."</p><p>There was a moment of indecision. In that moment, Ruby of course knew that they would progress; it was the point of their play, after all. But still, the acting was superb; Winter's face showed all the earmarks of an older woman, tortured by desiring a younger one.</p><p>"Nothing that happens ever leaves this room," she breathed, voice shaking. "Not the photograph, or the feelings in your notebook…" Her eyes raised again to bore into Ruby's. "Or the 'massager' that we both know you're not going to use on your neck. Or anything after."</p><p>She had forgotten about that little tidbit. Blushing again as she looked back, she seemed to be weighing the options of Winter's offer. No strings attached, no conditions; sounded perfect to her. If only things were so easy outside in reality. Nodding, she held the back of her hand out to her teacher again, offering it up to be kissed.</p><p>"Yes, Miss Schnee."</p><p>Then Winter smiled. It wasn't a kind smile, but it wasn't cruel, either. Somewhere in between. "Tell me about your feelings," she urged, voice still shaking but now with more than simple fear. There was excitement building, as well. "One page in a notebook tells so much… but not enough."</p><p><em>Ho</em><em>o</em><em> boy… </em>That was the question, in and out of play. It would be extremely difficult for her to answer that one without giving too much of the game away, and would leave awkward questions when they were done. But maybe she could purge these feelings by feeding them into the role.</p><p>"It started at the beginning of the year, when you first taught me. When you told me there was no need to be scared; that I should just… go with the flow- with my art, I mean."</p><p>Both of Winter's hands raised, fingering the lapels of Ruby's jacket. Fondly, almost affectionately. Their bodies were much closer now, even though Winter had seemingly done nothing to make it worse. "That's when it started, with me being kind. Where did your mind go from there? What changed it from merely being grateful to a teacher to…" She gave Ruby's necktie a little tug. "Something else?"</p><p>Pulled in toward her even more, she swallowed nervously. That was a question she couldn't answer, in or out of character. Taking a small breath in, she shakily began, "I-I dunno… I-it just began, y'know? I don't know how…"</p><p>"I'm no one special; just an art teacher. There are dozens of boys - or girls - at this school worth developing a crush on. It had to have been one thing or another." Both hands slid further up, one caressing the side of Ruby's face while the other tousled her hair. "Something I did, or said…?"</p><p>"N-no… just… you being you." That was the honest truth at the end of it. Out of character, it really was her discovery of how Winter was as a person that caused her feelings. She was kind, thoughtful, underneath her rather hard outer shell. How could anyone <em>not </em>fall for her? Edging herself closer, Ruby was more or less ready to slide into her lap, still smiling nervously.</p><p>"Just me?" Winter's fingers hooked around the bridge of Ruby's glasses, drawing them off and setting them on one of the filing cabinets as she walked to erase the board. Then she lifted the chalk and drew Ruby's name in large, ornate cursive. "I… can relate."</p><p>"You can?" Still standing herself back, she watched Winter write her name beautifully, waiting for her to make the next move.</p><p>"Why do you think I lit candles? To warm us up? They barely give off any heat, at all." Winter turned, biting the corner of her lip for a moment before she said in a low, sultry voice, "I wanted to see you by candlelight. Even if this was the only way I ever could, it… I can only allow myself so much without tipping my hand."</p><p>"Then…" Stepping toward Winter, allowing her character a moment of confidence, she half closed her eyes, placing her hands onto Winter's shoulders as she held her closer, fluttering her lashes seductively. "Maybe you should tip your hand now…"</p><p>"Miss Rose…" Her hands slid around Ruby's waist, very naturally sitting there. As if they belonged. Then she whispered, "Why haven't I been able to get you out of my mind? Did… I really put that photo in your envelope by accident? Or did my subconscious hope for this?"</p><p>"It could be a little both. I know that… this is like a dream come true for me." Gradually, Ruby began to lean forward. Her eyes seemed to focus on one particular part of her; her lips. Slowly she was heading toward her goal, eyes closing all the more…</p><p>Until there was a call from the main room of the apartment. One jarringly familiar for the teacher. <em>"Winter!</em> Do you have a moment?"</p><p>They both froze solid. Winter looked at the door, listening hard - and hearing the sound of footsteps, she hissed, "Shit, it's my fa- I mean, the headmaster! There will be too many questions if you're seen here!" Pulling out her chair quickly, she whispered, "Hide under the desk!"</p><p>Not even asking twice, Ruby immediately did as she was told and ducked down under the desk, scooting herself right to the back so she would be out of sight from anyone coming in. That was her out of the way; what about the rest of the things that were laid out for their scene?!</p><p>Seemed there was no time to do anything about it. The door opened, and entering immediately was Winter's father. Thankfully, he was distracted by a tablet in his hands, on which he tapped through a few of the screens, until he looked up toward her. "Ah, there you are! I just needed to confer with you about these few appointments coming u-"</p><p>Then he paused, looking at the desks in front of Winter’s. Blinking in confusion for a moment, it seemed as though he was going to figure something was going on, until…</p><p>"Are we due for the interns today? I thought that was next week."</p><p>"O-oh, it is," she sighed, sinking down into her chair. She scooted it carefully forward until she felt her shins up against Ruby's chest and stopped, not wishing to squish her but also needing for her seat to look as natural as possible. "I mean, they are. Next week. But the desks got here early."</p><p>"Hm… very well, that's fair." Leaning against one of the desks, he brought up another list on the tablet, before giving her his full attention. "I've had a few calls from different talk shows; some for FNKI, some for Freezerburn. Anyway, you're better versed in some of the topics they want to talk about than I am, so I need your input before I book these."</p><p>Below the desk, Ruby was blushing again. From where she was, she got an excellent view of Winter from down below. As part of her outfit, she didn't wear any underwear, and was freshly shaven just for her – other than the landing strip. Already she could smell that Winter was aroused, and <em>right</em> in front of her.</p><p>"That sounds fine, sir," Winter sighed, legs shifting somewhat anxiously. No way was she forgetting about their invisible guest, either, but was doing her best to sound as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. "If you could forward the dates to me, I'll consult my calendar. Or send them via instant message, if you would ever take the time to learn how to use it…"</p><p>"Hey, I've only just joined the twenty-first century learning how to use this thing." He turned the tablet in her direction for a moment, before looking back at it. "Can I go through some of these with you? I need your input on how appropriate these subjects are for your sister."</p><p>"Of course." But Winter wasn't budging. She couldn't take the risk that she would stand up and her father might walk around behind the desk, spotting Ruby much more easily. As surreptitiously as she could, she scooted the lesson plan book so that it mostly covered the photograph before she reached out for the tablet.</p><p>"Right. The first one is Lisa Lavender again. She's doing a marriage special and wanted Weiss and Yang on, but I have a feeling she's going to bring up the same 'so who's the father' if Fènleng comes up…"</p><p>Ruby had more or less zoned out from the conversation going on overhead. She was far too distracted by the sight and smell in front of her. Oh, how much she wanted to lean in, take another taste of it…</p><p>And she could; it seemed like something a student would do under these conditions. They weren't exactly playing by the rules here. Giving into her temptation, she placed her hands on Winter's inner thighs, beginning to stroke very slowly. Testing the waters.</p><p>"Well, it should be alright; Yang and Weiss are pretty good at redire-AH!" Clearing her throat, Winter adjusted herself in her seat slightly, trying to press her thighs together and trap the hands still. "R-redirecting questions by now. But we could have a word with Lavender before the show."</p><p>Alarmed by the sudden yelp from Winter, Mr Schnee raised an eyebrow. For now, he said nothing about it, and simply continued. "Right… well, that could be a possibility. Anyway, she wants FNKI possibly the week after, for both an interview and to perform; that I think would be fine. But I'm more worried about the other few shows on the list that want Freezerburn. I mean, I know they're pretty good with questions but I do worry sometimes on their behalf."</p><p>Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't stopping. She only began to smirk more, gradually pushing the legs apart a little more. She was determined to begin teasing as intimately as possible, to continue her habit of getting into risky situations. Wanting to give as good as she got for once.</p><p>Not that Winter was making it easy for her. The thighs were opening, but clearly she was pushing back against the hands forcing them apart. As she did so, she hitched a smile over her discomfort. "I know, Father. Weiss is still your baby girl, and Yang is an important part of our family, now, too."</p><p>"They are indeed. I just won't tolerate people attacking either of them and spreading rumours. Especially not while they're sensitive right now, I mean; you know what Weiss has been like since Fènleng was born, and the situation with Yang's mental health."</p><p>It didn't stop there. As well as hands, a soft pair of lips could be felt against her skin. Ruby was planting more and more kisses upward, giving a brief taster of what was to come. Which caused the scent to get stronger. Winter could only hope that her father didn't notice, but hopefully it would remain trapped beneath the skirt – or masked by the strawberry candle still burning on the second student desk.</p><p>"Y-yes, um… you know that I, of all people would never wish any further harm on Yang. But she's strong, she can handle a f- a few reporters."</p><p>"Yes… I hope so. I did say ‘no’ to the more infamous shows known to pressure their guests, thought that best. But if you could give a mark on the ones you think they'd enjoy, I'll be on my way."</p><p>The kissing continued upward still. Her hands instead moved to Winter's knees, holding them apart so she could continue that journey further upward, more and more until they finally hit home. And she pressed a soft kiss against Winter's petals.</p><p>At that instant, Winter had just been reaching up to grasp the tablet… when she couldn't help but let out a low moan, trembling from head to toe and accidentally knocking the apple from her desk as she braced herself against the sensation.</p><p>"Y… you can…" Clearing her throat, she sat back again and redoubled her concentration. "You can do as you see f-fit, Father."</p><p>Now it seemed he suspected something was wrong, and his brow furrowed again. "Is… everything alright? You seem awfully… on edge."</p><p>It could be more <em>felt</em><span> than </span><span>heard</span>, but Ruby giggled against Winter's flower at that comment. She could feel herself that Winter was on edge, especially when she delivered yet another kiss. When she saw fit, she allowed her tongue to press directly between her lips, giving a long lap over the length of her.</p><p>"S-sorry about that," Winter struggled to say, thighs pressing into both sides of Ruby's head, one of her heels digging into the girl's side. "Cramps, I… think I might have eaten… bad sushi…" She bit her lip to keep from calling out again, bracing herself as best she could.</p><p>Her student chose to ignore the mild pain. She continued to lap at the moist petals even more, loving every moment she could feel Winter reacting against her in some way. And all in front of her own father! This was as risky as it got; she was doing great! Winter would no doubt be so proud of her when they were alone again.</p><p>"I see. Well, I have some pain killers back in my apartment if you need them, I can go fetch them if needs b-"</p><p>But something else caught her father’s eye as he glanced toward her desk. Although she had managed to cover the photograph, Ruby's sketch wasn't covered at all. It was there, out in the open, forgotten by Winter. And was enough to raise both the man's eyebrows.</p><p>"Th-that won't be necessary," she told him, attempting to hold his attention away from the photograph. "I… I'll weather it, and if…"</p><p>A fresh wave of pleasure cut off the rest of her words. Seemed Ruby was actually not just aiming to tease her a little here or there, but to drive her all the way to orgasm! While Mr. Schnee was still standing on the other side of the desk! Had the Dom created a monster?</p><p>"Winter…" It didn't seem to work. Although his attention was away from the photo at the least, he was looking at her instead. There was silence for a moment, until he lightly smiled. "You… never told me that you were also into women."</p><p>And from below the desk, Ruby had to stop herself from suddenly laughing. Drawing herself away from the lips for a moment, she quietly chortled to herself, biting her own lip as tight as she could to prevent any sound escaping.</p><p>"What? Oh, that's… it's m-merely a drawing a f-friend did." Even though she was breathing easier now that her companion had taken a break, clearly she was still deeply affected by Ruby's attentions. "I… why should that mean I'm… you know, <em>that?"</em></p><p>"Well… I can only assume, a picture of a naked woman – in <em>th</em><em>is</em> context, no less! You must have paid good money for a piece of art like that, and I can't think why you'd want it for general… aesthetic." He was finding himself becoming rather flustered at the subject. Mr Schnee had only just in recent years become more open to his family, including the extended family they now all shared. To his daughter, this would be a strange surprise to hear him talk about, or even see him blush because of the art. "I-I mean, nothing wrong with it, you know. Just… wow, I've been a bigoted old man all this time and <em>both</em> my girls are queer. What a twist."</p><p>Winter found herself completely in disbelief. Though she knew her father had come a long way since his old homophobic leanings, she hadn't expected him to very nearly not bat an eye at such an obviously perverse drawing lying out for anyone to see. Even if she had only forgotten about it and not <em>meant </em>for anyone to see it.</p><p>But there was something else about his blush that brought a question to mind. She didn't want to ask it, knew the answer would be nothing good. But try as she might, she couldn't resist.</p><p>"Do you… like that sketch?"</p><p>"I-it's… Uh…" Obviously from a drawing, he didn't recognise the figure; much to Winter's advantage. The last thing she wanted was to try and explain why there was a picture of herself bound and gagged on the desk. Still, he shrugged his shoulders, trying to nervously continue. "I-it's rather… interesting. I don't think you'd want to hear your old man admitting he likes that sort of thing."</p><p>"What do-" She hesitated, pushing her thighs together. If Ruby decided she was going to take advantage of the situation again, she wanted her to at least have to fight for it. "Perhaps I would never have asked if the topic hadn't come up this way, but now I'm curious. What do you like about it? The subject matter, the artist's skill… the model?"</p><p>And Ruby did. Even if her head was trapped between Winter's thighs, that wasn't going to stop her attempting to push back forward again. As best she could, once more she prised the legs apart, pushed her face to the petals beneath. She was determined not to let Winter off that easily.</p><p>And the ever-oblivious Papa Schnee could only look a little more, tilting his head. "Hmm… a-a mixture of the three. Though I haven’t ever seen anything <em>quite</em><span> like this</span>, the art is very lovely. An interesting style."</p><p>"Isn't it, though?" Winter said, gasping as softly as she could when she felt Ruby's mouth attacking her anew, as she feared it would. "You'd… never believe who drew it. Quite a talent, even if it's… well, it's a little kinky, isn't it?"</p><p>However, during her brief respite from being eaten out, Winter had thought of a better plan for revenge. As she did her best to lean casually against her elbow, gazing down at the risque art, she raised her feet up and dug the pointed heels down into both of Ruby's hips.</p><p>A muffled yelp could be felt against Winter's sex. It hurt, but not to the point she had to stop. Just enough to prove again that she was doing a good job of inflaming her desires.</p><p>And further adding to the bonfire were the words of her own father, who could only give a nod of approval. "Yes. If you could give me the details, I may even attempt to commission them, maybe. Though… probably not something as kinky as this! Something more... tasteful, suitable for framing."</p><p>Winter nodded, using the time to let another wave of pleasure pass through her, into every last nerve ending. She couldn't stand it. If Ruby didn't let up, or if she didn't get rid of her father within the next few minutes… something unthinkable was going to happen. But she couldn't concentrate. Normally, she would know exactly what to say to get rid of him, or to make him lose interest in the conversation. But all she could do in that moment was to respond.</p><p>"I think that… could be arranged. I'll se- I'll set it up. One of the same model? Not kinky, but it could be… anything you want… name it…" Toward the end, her mind had drifted down under the desk again, as ashamed as she was of that.</p><p>But once realising what she had said, her heart stopped. <em>No.</em><span> She couldn’t pose nude for a sketch that her </span><em>father</em><span> would be buying – there was a line, and that was definitely over it!</span></p><p>"I may have a model in mind, perhaps… we shall see yet. Though I’ll keep her in mind, as well, of course; she's clearly a beautiful woman indeed. Reminds me of your moth- well, you won't want to hear about that." Thankfully, he did seem to be wrapping up the conversation. That much was obvious when he took the tablet back from her.</p><p>What a relief – in more ways than one. Although he did still spend a moment looking at the edits Winter had made to the list. Giving enough time for Ruby to continue. Rather than just lapping at the length of it, she began to focus directly on the clit. Giving a firm circle around and around, she smirked to herself when she felt Winter's legs shuddering. She was <em>close.</em></p><p>The word "Shit!" fell from Winter's lips, soft and stressed. But even before her father could ask, she smiled up at him as convincingly as she could. "Oh, n-nothing, I just… knew the artist is f-fond of that model. Who d-did you have in mind?"</p><p>Ruby's mouth was magical! Every lick and nibble at her clit was making her skin tingle all over, her stomach clench and her heart race. A little further and she would be over the edge. The woman hated it, and yet she couldn't stop now; if she tried to get rid of her father at that exact second, whatever story she told him, she knew that one way or another, she would most likely have to stand up – and that when she tried she wouldn't be able to. Those knees were going to buckle. It seemed her only option was to bear down and weather the approaching climax.</p><p>Giving a small nod at the tablet, he finally tucked it under his arm. Business taken care of, he refocused on her question. "No one you'll know, I'm afraid. That's… more a conversation for another time, I think."</p><p>With a final grin to herself, Ruby went in for the kill. With a few more circles around the clit, she allowed one of her hands to head forward, drifting around her entrance that little bit to tease her. And once feeling the heels stab in a little more, she finally let them enter inside, trying to curl to hit that spot – as a vague revenge for the pain.</p><p>Both of Winter's eyes flew wide, her mouth falling open. Even throughout all of the teasing, the segue into earnest cunnilingus, she had never expected for Ruby to finger her! In front of her<em> father!</em> It was all she could do not to call out in ecstasy, to keep her reaction to a mere few breathy sighs despite the grinding through her inner walls. She had been so wet and ready, worked up to receive this pleasure. If they were alone, she would have been rejoicing as vocally as possible; she still wanted to.</p><p>But they weren't alone. Looking up at her father, she took a deep breath so as to sound as firm as she could manage. She was too close to wait for him to leave now. She had to ask him something that would keep him talking while she let her end come to the surface. "Ohh, <em>Daddy…." </em>That was NOT good; she tried again. "Y-you can tell me anything. Maybe I would… l-like to see the model's other work before I p-pass it along to my artist."</p><p>"Well… she's not a model." Thankfully, he was continuing. It was probably the worst kind of subject to have whilst in the middle of these activities, but it kept him talking. And easily distracted. "Of course, your mother's been gone a fair while… and though I still miss her, very much so, I know she wouldn't want me to be lonely the rest of my life. It's only been recently that I've found the strength to begin searching again. And, well, I've met someone new."</p><p>While her father was talking, Ruby was simply intensifying her efforts. It was now or never! She had to do it while he was distracted enough to look away or else Winter would never forgive her.</p><p>"O-ohhhhh?" Winter just managed to turn the end of her moan upward so it sounded like a question. It was too late to turn back. Widening her thighs to give Ruby headway, she forced herself to keep it together long enough to ask, "Do you… have a… picture of this new… lady in your life? I'd lo-LOOOOVE to see."</p><p>Eyes widening in surprise at Winter's apparent enthusiasm, he blinked back at her, taking the tablet back from under his arm. "You… really don't mind? I mean, I was worried that you or Weiss would be angry at me, or uncomfortable with- this is quite fantastic!"</p><p>He seemed to have not noticed Winter's predicament at all. Somehow, Ruby's continued actions on her clit and inside against her spot were going unnoticed by him still, and Winter still wasn't there yet! Probably because him being there made her too nervous. Thrusting faster and faster, she tried to make sure she would be ready to finish her off at the perfect moment…</p><p>Which came when Mr Schnee began to scroll through his tablet again, rolling his eyes and groaning to himself. "Where is that blasted Facebook app?! I only just had it open!"</p><p>That was the moment, alright. Gripping one arm of her chair to tether herself, Winter stopped resisting, stopped holding herself away from Ruby's punishing fingers as her inner walls clamped down around them, moisture pushing outward as she came. Wave after wave of ecstasy flooded out from the two points of Ruby's mouth on her greedy clit and the fingers hitting her internal spot, down into her shoes and up into every hair follicle on her head. There could be no denying how phenomenal of an orgasm it was.</p><p>But it had consequences. They could have been worse, or more prominent, but she had heard herself moan Ruby's name in an undertone during one of the early aftershocks. Even if her father hadn't heard it, she also felt wetness running down her inner thigh, and down her chin from her open mouth. As sensitive as they were rubbing up against the lace, she found herself eminently glad that she had worn a bra so that her rock-hard nipples wouldn't show through her linen shirt; that would have been too obvious to ignore.</p><p>Finally, Ruby could be felt backing herself away. She had Winter's liquid splashed on her face, in her hair; a clear marking of what she had just done. Something her student was going to wear with pride when this was all over, and she gradually drew her fingers out to finally stop the teasing.</p><p>Meanwhile, Mr Schnee had at last brought forward a page belonging to a Latina woman with shoulder length brown hair, one who seemed a similar age to him, give or take a few years. "Yes, here she is. You might have seen her in the building a couple of times."</p><p>"She looks ni-iiiice," Winter let out with a shiver as she was exited, her neck twitching slightly. The drool rolled even further down her chin, but she couldn't quite force herself to raise a hand and wipe it away just yet. "Is… was she the representative from the… from our paper supplier? She's hot."</p><p>Inwardly, she cringed. That had not been quite what she meant to say! It was true, but she had intended to be more moderate about it!</p><p>"Why, yes, she is! She's actually been helping me a lot when I have bad days grappling with my loneliness; it took me far too long to realise I’m attracted to the woman, however." Although straight after the comment of her being “hot”, he pulled the tablet slowly back again, teasing. "Hey, hands off, you."</p><p>Smiling weakly, his daughter finally leaned against her hand in such a way that she could surreptitiously wipe the drool track away. "Very funny. But I am happy for you."</p><p>Even in the midst of such a strange moment, Winter realized that was true; her father had found someone to help ease his lingering grief. It was a lucky thing indeed, as she had noticed how bad it was getting over the years. Maybe the relationship would last and she could become part of their odd little family.</p><p>"Thank you, my dear. And… I hope, if I was right about earlier, that you're happy. That's all I care about. And if you do happen to find someone, man or woman, I'd like to meet them."</p><p>"That may never happen, Father. But… I promise you will if it does." Then she shuffled some papers, purely so she would seem too busy to walk him out, before she said, "Oh, and please send me a few pictures of your new lady friend; I'll forward them on to my artist, see if she would be interested in working with her."</p><p>"Shall do." Finally he was going to make a move to leave, drawing the tablet back fully and pacing back toward the door again, not before leaving one last quick remark about the drawing. "Though this model truly is attractive… if I wasn’t already working up the nerve with Amber, I might ask for her number."</p><p>And with that, he finally closed the door behind him, and could be heard doing the same to the main door as well. Leaving poor Winter with the knowledge that her father clearly still was head over heels for their mother… even if that knowledge took the form of knowing <em>she</em><span> would do in a pinch.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh... this chapter. Haha we almost didn't go through with it, since it treads very close to a specific line, but it was just too fun an idea to resist. Hope you guys enjoy it~ and Happy New Year very soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: teacher/student roleplay, nipple play, paddling, safeword usage, footjob, stocking fetish, vibrator, hot wax, trampling, foot worship (a LOT).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 8</b>
</p><p>Only once they were alone again did Ruby poke her head out from under the desk, leaning her chin on Winter's leg. She didn't want to make any snide comments or jokes yet; just looked up at her, grinning rather mysteriously while she quite obviously had a few speckles of her fluid on her face.</p><p>Winter's look down at Ruby was full of conflicted feelings. However, all she said by way of response was, "Did… you know the headmaster was my father, Miss Rose?"</p><p>Giggling, Ruby wiped the small amount of fluid off her chin. She couldn't help herself! That was by far the most risky thing she had ever done. "Nah, not until you called him ‘Daddy’." She had to play along again, but that didn't stop the grin. "But I hope he didn't notice."</p><p>She pressed her hand to her mouth, staring off at the door. A few seconds went by as she allowed herself a few breaths. Then she whispered, "I can't believe I just came in front of my father. I… I came <em>hard</em>, too. It was <em>so good;</em> as good as I've ever had. How… what should I… is this okay? Am I a terrible person?"</p><p>That was a pertinent question. But at the end of the day, if Winter was bad for enjoying such a sensation in plain sight of another, Ruby was just as bad - if not worse for giving it. Simply tilting her head against Winter's thighs, she smiled up at her, dancing around the subject. "How is enjoying yourself making you bad? It's a good thing. Like, you had fun."</p><p>"It was. But I… he was <em>right there!</em> Two feet away, talking to me! It's not as if I wanted him to find out; I don't know if I could go on living if he did. But… having him in here…" Her face was now far redder than Ruby had ever seen it before, and she looked as if she might start crying. "At first, I hated feeling that way in front of him, but when it kept happening… it was too much of a thrill. All those scenes I've done, all those humiliating positions, the severe kink play, and I've never been hotter or wetter than…"</p><p>"It was… really that good?" Ruby raised her eyebrow. It was flattering enough for her to be told that her Dom had came that hard, but for her to admit it was one of the best times she had ever had? It was more than enough to bring the redness back to her cheeks again.</p><p>Though upon finally noticing that Winter was truly distressed about this, that it might not be merely part of the scene, she tilted her head again, asking out of character, "Umm, are you okay?"</p><p>"And he liked your drawing of me. I think a little too much." It seemed Winter had scarcely heard Ruby, staring into nothing as she tried to process what had just happened. "Looking at it while your mouth was on my cunt… I would never have imagined any of this. Did… you like hearing me try to hold it together?"</p><p>Shrugging her shoulders again nervously, she finally made an effort to crawl out from beneath the desk. Dusting off her knees, she looked back up at her with a slightly more nervous smile. "I gotta admit… It was really hot. Just hearing how cool you were, despite what was going on. Was really, like, exciting?"</p><p>"Despite that you were fucking me in front of my father," Winter accused. Though her tone wasn't quite accusatory; it was somewhere between there and sheer disbelief. "Well, I guess this is my life now. Miss Rose, eating me out and fucking me while Dad tries to open the Facebook app."</p><p>Lightly biting her lip, the description enough was getting her warm down below. She could feel herself being more ready than ever for whatever Winter had in store. So much to the point she wanted to beg her for it. But she had a more sneaky way of doing that.</p><p>"Was that bad, Miss Schnee? Do I… deserve another detention?"</p><p>"Yes. Yes, you do, at the very least." Taking a deep breath, she set aside her more complex feelings as she looked over at Ruby, her face set. "I expected better from you, Little Rose. And now… I'm going to punish you. So much that you never forget it."</p><p>Though her character swallowed, and appeared more nervous than ever, Ruby herself was hopelessly excited. She had to clench her fists and bite her lip again to stop her yelling out something needy – especially when Winter's hands jerked the necktie up just enough so that it slid over the shirt collar, then pulled her jacket down so that it covered Ruby's forearms and hands. Leaving it there, she then began to unbutton her shirt efficiently, needily.</p><p>"You're so well-behaved now," she commented as she jerked the two sides of the garment open, revealing Ruby's simple little white bra and her stomach. "No one would ever believe that you had just done what you did to your favourite teacher."</p><p>Inwardly, Ruby was screaming with glee. She had been looking forward to this all day, from the instant she put on the uniform! And now that it was coming off, she forced herself to be, as Winter said, on her best behaviour. That started with her backing up against the wall when Winter pushed her there, letting the shirt and jacket drop from her arms and exposing her fully.</p><p>"But didn't you enjoy it, Miss Schnee?" She remembered just how much her Dom liked to be teased while they were in play. So she fought back with words. "I think you did. You loved feeling me take you, right there in front of 'Daddy Dearest'!"</p><p>Winter hesitated, eyes flicking toward the door and back to Ruby again. Her cheeks had never quite gone back to their normal hue, and they certainly didn't look like they were going to now. Slightly side-stepping Ruby's accusation, she said, "Y-you… really did a number on me, it's true." She reached around behind her to unhook her bra, hoping it would distract the girl from noticing she hadn't truly answered.</p><p>Suddenly gasping in shock, Ruby by instinct covered up her chest. It seemed like something her character would do, given the situation. But that didn't stop her taunting yet. "You really loved it. You've wanted me to do something to you all this time, haven't you?! That's… why you gave me <em>this </em>detention, isn't it?!"</p><p>"You think I gave you detention so you could pleasure me <em>in front of my father?!"</em> Her expression was outraged, but still aroused and full of the shame that had become such a permanent fixture since Ruby first began teasing her under the desk. "I thought you liked me, and yet you think me capable of… of wanting something like that to happen?!"</p><p>"I meant to pleasure you in general!" she reaffirmed, still trying to cover herself as best she could; not that she wanted to at all. She was still thinking of all the things Winter could get up to. "You… you wanted me and you to have a thing! You've had the same feelings as me all this time, right?!"</p><p>"I…" Her hands drifted behind Ruby, sliding under the hem of her now-untucked shirt to lightly tease the skin on her back. That’s right; they were still in a scene. She tried to master herself as best she could. "Wanting something doesn't mean you can just… take it. That's called 'stealing', isn't it?"</p><p>"But you knew I wanted it, didn't you? You suspected I did! So you found a way to give me detention, so you could get me alone." Forced forward by Winter's hands, Ruby's hands were raised. She wanted to return the favour and tear Winter's shirt from her, join in a passionate embrace rather than their simple session. But for now she kept them apart, reinforcing her role as the slightly scared student.</p><p>Winter's lips drifted down, grazed so close to Ruby's that they were in such danger of touching… and then retreated. "N-no." Her voice took on such vulnerability that it was almost heartbreaking. "Miss Rose, I would see you looking, but I… just thought you were paying attention in class. I didn't dare think you could return my feelings. Not me, an old woman, and your teacher!"</p><p>"Then…" Finally, she held onto her shoulders, using it to keep her body close to her, just like she needed. Placing one hand on her cheeks she stared up at the orbs of blue, swallowing again to calm herself down. "You clearly underrate yourself, Miss Schnee."</p><p>Their lips met then, Winter no longer able to restrain herself. She let out a pained whine in the back of her throat, to show Ruby that she was still playing the role of a distressed teacher who was losing a battle with willpower. Right away Ruby kissed back deeply. She opened her mouth against Winter's, allowing her tongue to enter her mouth, sliding against hers as they intimately embraced. At long last, she allowed herself the privilege of moving her hands to her shirt, eagerly tugging at it to undo the buttons and rid her of it entirely. The sooner she could get more Winter, the better, for both the student and Ruby herself.</p><p>"Miss Rose…" Another kiss before she could continue speaking, feeling small patches of air caress her skin as her linen blouse was opened. "You're s-so bold… I would almost wonder how many of the other teachers here have… had the pleasure."</p><p>"Zero. J-just you." She ran her hands down her arms, pushing the shirt downward and off her. Straight after, she embraced her, stroking her hands up and down her back as she tried to reach for her bra strap. Even if she was fumbling, it was enough to mask that as a desperate attempt to get close. "There's only been you, Miss Schnee. No one else can compare."</p><p>"Why? I still don't understand…" Gulping, she took a few breaths with closed eyes, relaxing into Ruby's caresses, even just her arms around her. "I know what I see in you; petite and perfect, clever, studious. And talented." A fresh flash of shame passed over her face. "In too many ways."</p><p>"And you…" She pressed a kiss against her lips again, finally finding the strap as she pulled it in to release the clasps, releasing it to let it drop with the shirt. "You always see the best in everyone, even when they get on your nerves. You're fantastic, always fantastic."</p><p>Far too late, Winter raised her arms to cover her chest. "Y-you shouldn't look… I know it's stupid, you've already t-tasted me…"</p><p>"It is stupid," she agreed, grasping her teacher’s hands. She didn't pull just yet, merely looked up at her questioningly. "It's okay, I know you’ll be beautiful. A work of art."</p><p>"Well…" Lowering her arms, she thrust her chest upward, almost daring Ruby to admire her body. Or to hate it.</p><p>But her student only giggled. She had seen it before, but that didn't make it any less amazing when she saw it again. Smiling in delight, she allowed her hands to drift forward again, delicately caressing one of them. Winter had always had a rather impressive bust, much more compared to her idol; plenty for Ruby to get her hands on.</p><p>"There; like I said, beautiful."</p><p>Winter absolutely melted into the touch, throwing her head back and letting Ruby explore her. They might not have actually done that before; most times, Winter was decked out in an outfit that prevented pure sensation, or else hidden under blankets. For a moment, she was willing to let the younger girl have her way with her body.</p><p>"Absolutely beautiful… Seriously." That last word seemed more Ruby than the role she was playing. Growing ever curious, she ran her thumbs over the delicate peaks of her chest, rotating around slowly to watch for her reaction. Her skin was always so soft, and this was no different, as she expected. <em>How many people were allowed this privilege?</em> she wondered; especially when she favoured outfits so much.</p><p>"Thank you," Winter whispered. The thumbs on her peaks made her shiver… and she shook her head slightly. How had she let Ruby cloud her mind this easily? That would have to change. They had a scene to play out, after all. "Now then, Miss Rose," she breathed shakily, knowing that too sudden of a change would be as bad as letting her continue. "I asked why you started thinking about me this way… but I didn't ask what you wanted me to do to you."</p><p>Swallowing, Ruby's hands remained perfectly still. Looked like she was no longer playing the more dominant role over her teacher anymore; back to their more typical play. Looking up to her eyes, she could already feel herself heating up at the thoughts of what she wanted.</p><p>"I…" she began, having to swallow again. "I want whatever you throw at me, Ma’am."</p><p>"Come on," she muttered, an indulgent, secret little smile playing across her lips as she gently stroked Ruby's back. "I already told you that whatever happens in this room tonight is a secret. You had to have fantasized once or twice. Tell me."</p><p>Looking her up and down a moment, she bit her lip again, imagining the possibilities. There were quite a few fantasies Ruby had about the teacher in question back in the day, mainly involving that very accident with the candle. Now Winter knew that, it seemed no waste to repeat it.</p><p>"When you knocked the candle onto me, um… I really liked that. And I mean <em>really </em><em>liked</em> it."</p><p>"Oh?" At first, Winter didn't look phased, but then she drew back with her eyebrows knitted. <em>"Ohhh.</em> So you meant… oh. I didn't think about <em>that</em>, not at the time." With a little shrug, she adjusted the necktie still hanging loosely around Ruby's neck before reaching down to remove her skirt instead, doing it painstakingly slow. "What else? Suggestion box is open."</p><p>"U-um…" Taking the small steps out of the skirt once it was pushed out of the way, Ruby looked down again toward the remains of what she was wearing. The tights. That was all; she had made sure to leave undies off due to her and Winter having their session. It made things easier that way. And a tad more scandalous with her next request: "Well… I don't mind if when you finally go in for the kill, uh, you make it as rough as possible." She parted her legs a little, mainly to show off the tights. "Even if there's a little… destruction."</p><p>Taking her meaning, Winter winked. "I think we can manage that. I was right; you <em>do </em>want to be punished." Then she tapped at her chin. "You know, we used to have… corporal punishment here at this school, Miss Rose. But they decided it was too clandestine." Pulling at her necktie, she drew Ruby close enough so that their eyelashes touched before whispering, "Would you like to bring it back? Just for tonight?"</p><p>Taking a few deep breaths, she looked back toward Winter with an ever growing eager smile. That was the more dominating role she was used to from her Dom. Confident, eager to please. She could only feel her smile turning into a grin at that proposition. And then… another idea came to her. One that involved something in particular left in her case. Something Winter had planted from the beginning but seemed to have forgotten about.</p><p>"Perhaps that… and something involving my 'neck massager,' Miss Schnee?"</p><p>"Ohhh, yes. You naughty girl." And then, with no forewarning, she reached down to cup Ruby's warm sex - feeling it already drenched. "Tell me… have you ever used that in my class before? Maybe during one of the movies we watched?"</p><p>It was a mixture of a sigh and a moan that sounded from her student as her sex was touched directly. She had never been that bold in school; in fact, she never owned a sex toy even to this date! But it was there for her character, so she had to make up a story. "Sometimes, if I know it's a really long lesson or if we’re watching a movie. Like, it gets me going and keeps me awake…"</p><p>The finger picked up speed as Winter growled into her ear, "Right there, in front of me? In front of all your fellow students? What if they had heard you? <em>Smelled </em>your heat?"</p><p>The next sound was clearly a moan. She was growing far more needy, it wouldn't be long at all until she would practically beg Winter to begin. "Didn't you wonder why I sat at the back?" she teased.</p><p>"Dirty little girl, Miss Rose. You've done terrible things in my classroom. I really will need to punish you." Then she let out a quiet gasp that was followed by a smile. "And I have just thought of something."</p><p>Tugging her by the necktie, Winter began to lead her over to one of the filing cabinets. Following without another word, Ruby followed. Ironically, as though she were a dog being tugged on her lead, even without that type of play currently. She grinned eagerly as she stood in front of the cabinet as commanded, waiting for what her teacher had planned next.</p><p>"Assume the position," Winter told her as she drew something not from inside of it, but behind the metal mass. A long wooden board, four or five inches wide, with a crosshatch pattern burned into its centre. One end had been whittled down and sanded to form a comfortable handle. It had even been stained and lacquered so that it was a beautiful chestnut brown. For an instrument of pain, it was fairly elegant.</p><p>"Oh…" This was going to be both terrifying and exciting. Ruby had never really imagined she might enjoy being <em>paddled</em>; but with her teacher dressed like that, how exactly could she resist? Trying her best to guess what position Winter wanted, she leant forward, making sure her petite rear was in clear view for her, and rested her hands on one of the cabinet’s handles.</p><p>A low hum of approval sounded from Winter as she paced behind Ruby. "You know, I expected you to lean over the desk. Interesting. Not bad, but interesting." Then she began to caress the round, fleshy backside with the cool wood. "Are you prepared for this?"</p><p>"Hmmhhh…" How could one truly be prepared for oncoming pain? Especially when the worst she had before was just a little candle wax. Bracing herself as best she could, she gave a nod. "As ready as ever, Ma’am."</p><p>"Very well." Then, drawing the paddle back and taking deliberate aim, she let it swing down with a loud <em>SMACK!</em></p><p>Right away Ruby was forced forward by the impact, letting out a shrill yelp from the sudden pain Winter inflicted. But it was more than enough to send tingles through her body, to set her nerves on edge; she was <em>so</em> <span>ready</span> for more.</p><p>"One," Winter told her in a cold tone of voice. Then she reared back for another one, admiring the very slight redness on her target before she brought it down again. Another yelp, another flinch forward again. This time however when she braced, she made sure to bite her lip, so she didn't yell too loudly for the third round. The last thing they needed was for someone to come in and hear her.</p><p>"Two. You're really loving this, aren't you? Must have known you needed it." Another swat, just the tiniest hair harder. "Deserved it after what you've been doing in my classes."</p><p>"MFF!" she groaned again with her lips sealed. The more she struck in the same spot, the more tingles it sent through her body. And though it was a remarkable sensation, it was beginning to test her tolerance. Especially when the paddle was so large! To hold herself together, she didn't speak; only nodded gently in agreement.</p><p>Winter took a moment to reach forward and grasp one of the cheeks, twisting it slightly. "Yeah, that's right. Little whore, getting herself off in front of the entire class. Just hoping someone would turn around and see her, hear her. Hoping <em>I </em>would see how dirty she is."</p><p>Growling under her breath, Ruby couldn't help but push her backside out further toward her, trying to give more to Winter, to prove she needed her more; whether that came by a paddle or not. She needed her to stop teasing. Of course, Ms. Schnee took that the other way. That she wanted more punishment. So she released her and drew back once more, delivering a sharp blow to her behind.</p><p>"How many times did you come for me, huh?"</p><p>"NNNN!" She groaned once more, grasping the handle of the cabinet even tighter. With the same spot being hit repeatedly, she was beginning to feel more pain than ever, bordering on the edge of what she could handle. She still wasn't giving an answer yet, not until she knew she couldn’t take another blow.</p><p>"You don't care who's watching, do you?" Winter's voice was becoming sharper, colder. "Classmates. Headmasters. The President himself - you don't… <em>care!"</em> The last word was punctuated by the hardest swing yet, right into Ruby's sensitive backside.</p><p>This time the pain was white hot, and she knew she couldn't handle anymore. Shuddering in pain, she shakily announced, "Strawberries!"</p><p>This time, however, Winter didn't do as she normally did. There was no question if Ruby was alright, no gentle hands. Just the sound of the paddle being laid down upon the desk. Panting heavily, Ruby's grip was finally beginning to loosen from the handle, her body beginning to relax now that it was no longer being tortured by the wooden paddle. Slowly she turned around to try and get Winter's reaction, unclear as it was.</p><p>The elder woman was crouched over the back of her chair, hands clutching at the top of it. Breathing heavily. After a moment, she glanced over to notice Ruby watching her and asked in a very mild voice, "Are you ready to continue?"</p><p>Taking a moment longer to regain her breath, Ruby eventually nodded. She released the handle to stand back upright, wincing when she placed her hand upon her backside to test how bad the tingling was. "Nnn… J-just don't make me sit down for a while."</p><p>"How about laying down? That was my next… step." Winter definitely seemed to be a little distracted, and still didn't turn to look at Ruby fully.</p><p>Which she seemed to notice. She didn't know why, or how to bring it up, but she noticed a huge difference in her behaviour all of a sudden. Was she mad that she had used the safeword again? Too scared to ask, she simply nodded, moving on quickly. "Where?"</p><p>"I'll direct you." Clearing her throat, she picked up the paddle again. "Say the words."</p><p>"Wh-" Looking at the paddle again, Ruby couldn't help but suddenly flinch; trying once more to cover her backside to protect it. "You… what, <em>more</em><em>?</em> I don’t think I can!"</p><p>"What?" Finally looking over at her properly, Winter rolled her eyes, favouring her with a smile. It wasn't quite as energetic or warm as would be usual when cast in Ruby's direction, but there all the same. "No, I meant to resume play. I was holding this when we stopped, that's all."</p><p>"OH! Oh I… Right, sorry." Straight away she relaxed again, letting her hands drop to her side rather than at her rear. Taking a couple of breaths again to prepare herself, she finally nodded again. "Resume play."</p><p>Immediately, the paddle came up to push under Ruby's chin, as if she were inspecting her face. "Hmm… I think I took some of that boldness out of you with that. Good." Then she pinched her cheeks with her free hand as she laid the paddle up against the wall, pulling her closer. "But I believe there were a few other things you wanted to try, weren't there?"</p><p>With her cheek in her teacher's grip, she could quite obviously feel Ruby begin to smile eagerly. She knew that Winter would soon do things that would make her forget all about the pain to her backside. She gave a small nod.</p><p>"Yes… alright." Although, despite Ruby's worry about the abuse her rear had taken, Winter reached down and swatted her upper thigh lightly - just enough to jiggle her ass cheeks without hitting them directly. "Up on my desk, flat on your back."</p><p>"Eep!" Although she lightly yelped, she did as told. Right away she hopped onto the desk, instantly wincing when she had to sit on it for a moment until she laid down, taking the weight off the abused flesh. By instinct, she was beginning to cover her chest again, looking over to Winter.</p><p>A hand drifted up and caressed Ruby's soft face, a benevolent smile cast down at her from Winter's flawless face. She whispered, "I believe you ordered something." Then she reached past her to pick up…</p><p>The candelabra. That was exactly what Ruby had been wanting all this time, to test this strange new desire of hers to the full in a safe situation. Already she could feel herself grinning again, she couldn't help herself! But of course, Winter was nothing if not professional. Instead of tipping the entire thing right away, she reached down with her other index finger, caressing it down along the plane of her stomach.</p><p>"What is it about hot wax?" she mused as she watched the muscles clench involuntarily. "Everyone seems to agree it's fairly safe… stimulating. Alluring, even."</p><p>Already, there was gentle twitching. And already, she was getting wetter by the minute at the possibility. It was just as her Dom said: alluring. There was just something about the sensation that wasn't painful, but was rather comforting, even. Familiar, gentle agony.</p><p>Taking one of the tapers from the candelabra, Winter slowly carried it until it was suspended above Ruby's body, not having dripped just yet from her careful movements. "I hope you're ready for this to happen. For this delicious pain." Taking aim, she tipped until a single drip of wax fell, landing an inch above her navel.</p><p><em>"Oooohh!"</em> At first, there was intense warmth on her stomach, but within an instant it disappeared as the wax hardened, clinging to her skin. All that tiny amount did was make her crave more of it, shown by a needy moan.</p><p>Reaching up, Winter brushed the necktie so that it fell back over one of her shoulders. "Does Miss Rose like that?" she breathed in a sultry voice. Seemed she was slipping back a bit more into her teacher role. Whatever she had become during the paddling had been… something else. "Does she want more?"</p><p>Slowly nodding, Ruby knew she could wait it out, see how things went with Winter before she asked about the attitude change properly. If it truly was a case that she didn't want to keep hurting her, she wouldn't be there with the candles anymore.</p><p>"Then she has to do something for me." Winter's eyes raked up and down the length of her student, as if trying to think of something to ask of Ruby. "Hmm… what could Miss Rose do for Miss Schnee?"</p><p>"Something for you… Hmm." But then she remembered: Winter had an affinity for a part of her body, one that she had just discussed with Penny a few hours ago. So she flicked her heels against each other, managing to hook off her shoes one by one. Once they were free, she allowed her feet to hang over the desk, and wriggled them in glee.</p><p>Winter's eyes were drawn immediately to the shoeless feet. A suspicion was brewing behind her eyes as she glanced back at Ruby's passively pleased expression, then at the stockings again. After considering for a moment, she decided to turn back to her with a wry smile.</p><p>"So… why would Miss Rose think her teacher would be pleased by that? It's a very… unusual thing to try."</p><p>"Well, Miss Rose… knows her teacher very well." And in a more bold move, she crossed her legs, looking up toward her confidently as it meant that one of her feet was facing in her general direction. Enough, she hoped, to keep her attention on them. Smugly smirking, she added, "Or I'm good at guessing…"</p><p>Eyeing them for a moment longer, she whispered, "You… do seem to know how best to drive me crazy." Licking her lips, she shut her eyes for a moment before turning back to Ruby. "Very good. My good little Rose has earned a reward."</p><p>So she tilted the candle again. This time, two or three hot droplets landed on various parts of Ruby's stomach - one on her hip, actually.</p><p>"A-Aaah! Oh… yeah!" She couldn't help but moan out in pure delight, which forced a reaction Winter would no doubt enjoy when she curled her toes in sheer delight when yet more hot wax had clung to her skin. The pain was temporary, but the lasting warm sensation remained. And that kept her going.</p><p>Indeed, Winter's eyes kept flicking between the canvas on which she was painting her wax, and the ends of Ruby's legs where an interpretive dance was playing out purely for her benefit. Blinking a few times, she focused on Ruby's face for a moment.</p><p>"You're really getting off on this, aren't you? Fascinating…"</p><p>"I can't help it," she admitted, looking down at the speckles of wax that had dried on her. If only she could keep that evidence there forever. "When it's <em>you</em>, Miss Schnee, how can I?"</p><p>Spotting the way Ruby was staring at the speckles affectionately, Winter formed an idea in the back of her mind. But she decided to hold off. Instead, she merely smiled cunningly and said, "Then I hope to provide you with more. First, however, you must show your gratitude." Almost as if worried, she added, "In whatever way you choose, of course. Whatever you wish."</p><p>Looking to between Winter's legs a moment, she debated on just what to do. How did this affect her, exactly? Deciding to test it out, she edged herself forward slightly so she could aim to bring her foot upward, and toward the middle of Winter's thighs. That action earned her a few blinks from the Dom, and then a mildly flustered chuckle.</p><p>"Alright, alright - now you have me quite curious. What are you going to do down there?"</p><p>"I know you like them." That was a little out of character again as she tried to speak directly to Winter rather than 'her teacher'. Once more she attempted to move herself forward, and touched at her thighs with her feet again. "I wanna see how much…"</p><p>"W-who says I like them?" But Winter was definitely preoccupied by what was going on by her thighs, the light sensation caused by the thin material stretched over Ruby's feet. Her cheeks, which had just gone back to normal, were starting to redden again. Even while trying to deny it, it seemed Winter was proving Ruby right.</p><p>"I figured it out," she taunted again. Seeing as Winter didn't actively shove her away or show her distaste for it in other ways, Ruby continued, delicately stroking up and down between her thighs. With each pass, she went further until she was pushing up her skirt. It was quite clear she was aiming for Winter's centre.</p><p>And Winter was allowing it. Seemed she had run out of reasons to protest. After a few more seconds, she set the candelabra down, afraid she would drop it and start a fire.</p><p><em>Bingo. She does like this.</em> It couldn't be confirmed any more than that! And so Ruby made the most of it. As best she could from the awkward position, flinching from the lingering heat in her seat, she moved her foot straight to Winter's crotch. She could already feel slick wetness through the thin layer of the tights as she teased her, wriggling her toes as much as she could. With a mischievous smirk, she listened for a reaction.</p><p>"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, Ruby…" That was what she got for listening. Winter was bracing against the edge of the desk as she swayed, lost in dark pleasure. A moment later, she cleared her throat and said in a shaky voice, "I m-mean, Miss Rose… where did you learn such… unusual tactics to please a woman?"</p><p>It was purely guesswork. She never knew a person could please someone with such a method before, but Winter had proved otherwise. Continuing to apply pressure there as she aimed a little further into the folds, she continued to smirk darkly from how great a reaction it was making, even through her tights.</p><p>"This is really good then, Miss Schnee?"</p><p>"I…" Gulping, she swooned slightly, hips squirming from side to side as if unconsciously trying to get away from the taunting little toes, even though she wasn't doing much about it otherwise. "Y-you seem to be finding all s-sorts of kinks of mine tonight." Licking her lips, she then added in an undertone, "And… yes, it's good."</p><p>The smirk turned into a grin instead. "Looks like I'm learning well! You’re such a good teacher!" However, as she felt the moisture continuing to build up on her tights, she managed to adjust herself to look properly, with only minimal pain to her rear end. If she was getting this much pleasure with those on, what would it be like without them?</p><p>"Would you prefer me to remove my tights, Ma’am?"</p><p>Winter was shivering, her mouth hanging open as her cheeks remained full of rouge. Blinking up at her through her eyelashes, she whispered, "Aren't… I supposed to be treating <em>you</em>, Miss Rose? Why are you so eager to… to pleasure me, and not let me pleasure you?"</p><p>Her sub did want to be pleasured. She did want Winter to continue to drop wax over her body, continue the sweet sensation of light pain that came with it. But she enjoyed this far more. It was becoming more apparent in her that she enjoyed the giving part more than the receiving. She always had, even with Penny. And the more she thought about it, the more she knew it was related to her personal feelings about Winter. They really were getting stronger after all. Finally with that in mind, her foot backed away as she nervously swallowed.</p><p>"Sorry… I'm forgetting that, aren't I?"</p><p>"Can… we come back to that?" Winter's index finger alighted on Ruby's big toe for just an instant, then she smiled slightly as she pulled it away. "Wet…" Clearing her throat, she smiled down at Ruby. "So you figured out one of my secrets yet again. I'll take you up on that, if you really don't mind – but <em>after </em>I see that Miss Rose has enjoyed a little more… fruit of the candle."</p><p>Biting her lip to try and keep her grin at bay, the ‘student’ nodded. That was definitely something they could come back to, given how much Winter was enjoying even the brief taster! But she was right in one regard: this was now her time. She had already enjoyed one orgasm of her own, it was time for Winter to get even. Picking up the candelabra again, Winter hovered it over Ruby. The entire thing.</p><p>"Hmm… I'm starting to think we should raise the stakes…" With a slow smile, she then asked, "Where did we leave your 'eraser'?"</p><p>Then Ruby's attempts at holding back her grin were gone. She released her lips to do just that, already eager for what was to come. Looking over to the pencil case again, she pointed to it. "Just in there, I tucked it behind my pens."</p><p>"Good. I'll be right back." Before she walked to the desk, she shook the candelabra just enough so that a single drip of wax fell to the top of Ruby's breast; then she was off, retrieving the pencil case.</p><p>It was enough to coax a moan from her. Right above her breast peak, she felt the sudden heat hit for a moment, until it cooled down more or less right away. Yet more dried wax to add to her small collection. Even if it was strange, it made Ruby feel important to Winter, as though she was owned. Winter was leaving her marks all over her.</p><p>"Now… my hands are going to be far too busy to keep this on you. Which means you're going to have to do it yourself, Miss Rose." Her smile was dark as she paced around the desk, holding the tiny vibrator. "You've proven yourself a very studious young lady. Now, you're going to keep proving it to me when you don't stop driving your little pussy wild for me. Not even for a second. Can you do that?"</p><p>"Oh gosh…" she whispered to herself. That sounded so exciting already! Simply the idea that she couldn't stop until Winter asked- no, <em>demanded </em>her to; that could take minutes, or even hours depending on Winter's mood. Either way, she knew Winter wouldn't let her be anything other than driven completely insane. Taking it from her, she turned the top to activate the buzzing sound once more. Looking up at Winter, she continued to grin as she nodded.</p><p>With a satisfied smirk, Winter held the candles higher for emphasis as she said, "Then what are you waiting for? Let me hear you moan."</p><p>And straight away, she got to work. Just as Winter asked, she pressed the small device up against her tights firmly. The result was almost instant; her toes curled and knees bent when she moaned loudly. The fact she no longer had to worry about her volume came as a welcome relief; she could call out into the air without any stress – a luxury Winter wasn't allowed when it was her turn.</p><p>"There…" Pacing all the way around the desk, Winter took the time to simply watch Ruby at work, listen to her proof of arousal. Then, once she was in position again, she reached forward and tipped the candles nearly sideways; three drops fell onto Ruby's skin this time, in various spots.</p><p>Suddenly the moaning increased in volume. She didn't expect so much of the wax in one go! Most of it landed on her stomach, the rest dripped around her lower breast; all sent tingling sensations all through her body again. And the small bullet wasn't helping at all – not when she rubbed it up and down the length of her folds through her increasingly-useless tights. Already she was starting to squirm back and forth to try and keep herself under control, to no avail.</p><p>Meanwhile, Winter was hungrily watching this unfold, the girl’s entire body writhing in response to the wax. Of course, that wasn't the Dom's first experience with it, but it was their first <em>shared</em> experience. Her other hand reached out and ran over some of the cooler flecks of wax, nothing the difference in sensation where she touched.</p><p>It all seemed to help while Ruby continued to treat herself. The more she rubbed and circled her clit, the more she could already feel her heat building and hear her own heart pounding. A phenomenal sensation that was only going to get better as she felt her release getting close. But she knew how much Winter would want to see her go above and beyond. Her only hope was that she could last that long.</p><p>However, it also seemed like Winter was determined to spur her on to orgasm much faster than usual. This was evidenced when she drew her hand away and raised the candelabra, shaking it so that all five candles dripped onto Ruby - some of them more than one drip. All over her chest and stomach, and a couple on the arm she was using to hold the vibrating device in place.</p><p>She succeeded. Ruby's moans got even louder as she stared at the ceiling. The sensation of both the amount of hot wax splashing and drying against her skin fused with the speedy vibrations below sent her flying into orgasm. Her legs drew in as she quivered, feeling her wetness splash against the material as she came hard. Far harder than she could ever remember doing in her life!</p><p>A satisfied groan of triumph issued from deep in Winter's throat as she watched Ruby writhe, as she particularly paid attention to certain parts of her flexing and twisting. But once she had finished, she leaned in and whispered in her ear, "My little Rose <em>really </em>liked that. How long has it been since you got off in my classroom?"</p><p>However, she wasn't finished yet. She knew that Winter needed to give the command before she could, and had to continue pressing the small device against her now sopping sex. Both that and the whispering caused a higher-pitched whimper, a sign she was getting overstimulated. But she obediently continued.</p><p>Switching hands, Winter trailed her now-free fingers down to Ruby's sex, laying it beside the hand already pressing the toy into herself. "Goodness… soaking wet. You're a squirter, aren't you? Tights are a good way to stop you from squirting." Then she whispered in an even darker voice, "Not that I would want to. I <em>love</em> it."</p><p>Yet again, she felt more of the liquid force itself out and against the material with a small squeal. There was no way she would return these to Penny now, not after this much of herself was on them. She had to keep going though. Even when she could feel her poor clit beginning to ache, her body crying for a break, she had to keep it up, breathing heavily to stay on task for her teacher. But there was no energy left to respond in a way other than faint squeals.</p><p>The sounds were beginning to let Winter know Ruby was more than finished. Tempted as she was to push her until she broke, or called out the safeword, she slid her hand over Ruby's directly. "That's enough, Miss Rose. You sounded like an A-plus."</p><p>Finally she felt Winter pull her hand away. Instantly, her body began to relax, and she rested her feet flat against the surface of the desk as she dropped the vibrator to the side. Taking continuous deep breaths, she stared up blankly at the ceiling as her heartbeat gently dwindled to its normal pace, seeing nothing but stars.</p><p>Winter watched her for a moment, observing how weak and distant she seemed. Then she whispered, "Strawberries. Do you need to stop? You can just nod or shake your head."</p><p>Right away, she shook her head. In the midst of her panting, she managed to smile after a few breaths, even if she couldn't quite look at her. "No," she spoke breathlessly. "I'm fine to keep going… I-I just need to chill for a second."</p><p>"God, you squirted a <em>lot</em>," she whispered while they were still between scenes. Her hand came up to set down the candelabra, then helped Ruby arrange her hair. "I could tell. The wax does it for you that much?"</p><p>"Well… I guess it helps it was you doing it…" Straight away, however, she shut her mouth tight. That didn't mean to come out in that way, especially not in the middle of a scene! The last thing she wanted to be doing was pushing her feelings on Winter, especially when she promised herself she wouldn't. Quickly trying to recover, she stuttered, "I-I mean… y-you're experienced! You know how to do it!"</p><p>But Winter didn't seem to fully believe her. "Oh? I'm that good? Or… you just prefer my technique?" Kissing her forehead, she whispered, "We should probably start the scene again, I mean… if you still wanted to…" She cast a shy glance down toward Ruby's legs, but didn't elaborate further. "Or we could stop it here. You seemed pretty exhausted by that orgasm."</p><p>After a few more breaths, she seemed relieved. It seemed like Winter hadn't noticed, or at least was making out she didn't for her benefit. Either option was good. Once she was calm enough, she looked back to Winter again. She didn't even explain. "Resume play."</p><p>"You're so soaking, Miss Rose," she said almost immediately, having been ready for either option. "How does it feel, being laid out and messy right in front of your favourite teacher?"</p><p>Rather than act all too submissive, Ruby’s spare hand reached down toward her sex, taking in some of the moisture that had trapped itself on her tights. And while she maintained eye contact, she brought her fingers up toward her mouth. A moment later, she let her tongue out her mouth, lapping up what she had collected for herself, exaggerating a moan while she did so.</p><p>Winter watched with lustful eyes, still in command but indulging in the little show Ruby was putting on for her. Then she leaned in and gripped a hand in her hair before she whispered, "So very naughty." Without pausing for Ruby to answer, she took her mouth roughly, tasting the essence that was held on her tongue.</p><p>"HMM?!" So forceful! She could already feel Winter teasing at her tongue, eager to get to more – either the taste of her sex, or just a general taste of Ruby, or all mixed together as one. She didn't care, she simply wrapped her arms around Winter in response to such harsh grasping and pulled her closer, stroking up and down her back from her position on the desk.</p><p>Only when they broke apart for breath did Winter pant, "Delicious." Then she smirked down at her. "Now then… I get the feeling that you really seem to enjoy a little foot-play. Is that what you want next?"</p><p>Her sub wasn't prepared to just lie back and take everything anymore. Now she was going to give as much as she got, starting by smirking back at Winter as she brought one of her feet upward again. Purely for Winter's display. "I think it's <em>you</em> that likes the foot play, Ma’am."</p><p>Before she could be too distracted, Winter pushed her knee so that the foot went back downward. "Maybe so, but… you acted like you wanted to continue that for me. Do you?"</p><p>Raising one of her eyebrows, Ruby held back instead for a moment. "What do you have in mind?"</p><p>A grin spread over Winter's flushed face. "Lie flat and you'll find out, my little Rose." And she stayed perfectly still, waiting to see if Ruby would do it. To see how curious she truly was.</p><p>Without a single word of argument, Ruby laid flat on her back, shuffling herself fully onto the desk so no part of her was hanging off of it, and waited.</p><p>"Excellent. Hold still."</p><p>There came a <em>thump-thump </em>from the floor, and then Winter was climbing up onto the desk, using the chair to propel herself upward. All the while, her pale blue eyes remained trained on her sub, piercing through her. Standing above her, and on the desk even, was her Dom. As much she wanted to overpower Winter, or at least put up a fight again… seeing her that high above her did intimidate her.</p><p>Glancing upward, Winter reached to catch onto the fluorescent lighting fixture with one hand, the other one held out to one side. Then, with a menacing grin, she placed her shoeless foot between Ruby's breasts… and began to lift her other so that her weight pressed down onto her chest.</p><p>"Oh… O-oh…." The more weight was taken, the more difficult it was becoming for Ruby to breathe. She bore the weight of her Dom easily so far, but other than that, she had no option but to lay there and take it. Still laying perfectly still, she was attempting to contemplate her next move, particularly focusing on her exposed, and once again wet, centre.</p><p>"Isn't this what you wanted?" Winter asked in a harder voice, though she was still grinning. Once Ruby had taken all of the weight that wasn't being supported by her grip on the light, her other leg slowly drifted forward until the blade of the foot rested against Ruby's throat. The pressure on that was quite a bit lighter, but still just enough to be felt.</p><p>"Nnnn… I- it's very… different." And she had to admit, it was. Being stepped on by someone wasn't ever something she had imagined as erotic, but somehow, Winter seemed to make it so. Or at least, maybe that was just how Ruby felt. Everything about Winter was special. <br/><br/>So she would have to make sure to do something special for her. Yet again she raised her leg as best she could, and aimed for in between her Dom’s. Even still in tights, it was worth a second try, given how much she was enjoying it.</p><p>Winter felt the toes just barely able to poke at the bottom of her thigh, but she only smiled. "Aww, the little Rose wants to show me her thorns."</p><p>Leaning slightly forward, she applied more pressure to her windpipe, slowly cutting off her circulation. The effect was almost immediate. Ruby's leg began to lower slightly as she gasped, quickly grasping the foot with both hands simply to keep it that same distance. That she could handle; anything more would cause her severe discomfort.</p><p>But Winter only applied more pressure. Still, it was a very controlled increase; the Dom was practiced, and obviously continued to balance mostly on Ruby's chest, using the fixture above her to withhold her full weight from resting on the girl. But now, it would be getting truly difficult for the smaller woman to draw breath.</p><p>Sure enough, her next attempt to breathe was a failure. That was it; she had that time while Winter was distracted – and she was still conscious – to continue to shuffle her feet, finally feeling the material begin to move down her legs when her toes snagged just right. And then finally, after a few minutes of toil, she miraculously kicked the tights free. She was now laying below, completely naked, with Winter none the wiser.</p><p>To surprise her before she found out, her leg quickly drew up before she could stop it, and a bare foot went straight to caress her centre again.</p><p>"O-oh!" Winter gasped, trying to glance behind her. When her balance wavered, she forced herself to become very still, not wanting to accidentally crush Ruby's windpipe. "Y-you… what do you think you're doing back there?" When she noticed Ruby's eyes were half-closing, she took the foot away slightly, using it to cup Ruby's cheek instead. "Well?"</p><p>Gasping, she opened her eyes again once breath returned to her lungs, managing to just look down at what she was doing. Now that she could see for sure, she could better adjust herself, shifting to move her foot a little further down so when she wriggled her toes, it would be directly against her clit.</p><p>"Pleasing you, Miss Schnee." She licked her lips. "Is it working?"</p><p>"It… it is, Miss Rose. You're… apparently very adept in… that area." Her cheeks were reddening again, but she was still maintaining her persona, her control. "But… there's something else I want."</p><p>Pressing her toes in further rather teasingly, she smirked from down below, half closing her eyes. "And what’s that, Ma’am?"</p><p>This Winter looked a little more guilty. Still Domming her "pupil", and still with that vaguely sadistic personality that went along with that, but it was evident that this request was a little more personal, and she therefore felt regretful even before she spoke again.</p><p>But even so, in spite of her guilt, she slid the foot on Ruby's cheek over until her toes were perched on her mouth. Then she whispered, "If… you could…"</p><p>When they were once half shut, Ruby's eyes began to open wider again. She wanted Ruby to treat her feet, as well, with her mouth. Was she serious? Never had she entertained such an idea before, but Winter expected her to do it without question. What about germs?</p><p><em>Hey, you had Winter's </em><em>pussy</em> <em>up against</em><em> your mouth. You didn't complain about that.</em> Weighing the pros and cons, she decided there were more pros – because her Dom would enjoy it. But the convincing thought was when she reminded herself that she always had the safe word.</p><p>That's when she opened her mouth, and took both the big toe and the next inside.</p><p>Instantly, whereas she had been putting up such a good fight moments before… Winter was moaning, swaying on top of Ruby's chest as she was both being teased and teasing with toes. Moments like that made her wonder if she was losing her grip on reality. After another few seconds, she panted, "Wait! W-wait, okay, I…" Gulping, she drew the foot away and used the heel to brace next to Ruby's shoulder as she stepped down with the other, standing right next to Ruby's hip now.</p><p>Now that her breathing was far easier again, the student smiled again when she took the foot back into her hands. Now that there was less danger of being crushed, she fell back to work. Drawing her close to her mouth again, she at first lavished the sole with a few kisses, even giving the toes a couple, before she returned them back into her mouth, where she lavished them with her tongue. A long, satisfied groan issued through Winter as Ruby worshipped her toes, eyes drifting closed as she continued to brace against the ceiling with one hand. Even if Ruby had never done this before, she seemed to be fast on the uptake. The light pressure and wetness was pleasant and somewhat familiar from her previous sessions, but Ruby's tongue was definitely one of the better she had experienced.</p><p>As best she could, she attempted to continue the two stimulating punishments for Winter. It took all her concentration to keep wriggling her toes against Winter's sensitive clit, move against her folds all over to keep her going. If she could get Winter off twice in one night, she would consider it a victory.</p><p>And it was working. The twin forms of worship were very obviously driving Winter insane, the as the toes twitched and writhed in Ruby's mouth in reaction from both the tongue and what was happening up against her dripping sex. Her fingers were white-knuckling against the lighting fixture, straining to keep herself upright despite how weak her knees felt from the constant stimulation.</p><p>Smirking as best she could with a foot in her mouth, Ruby's lips locked around Winter's biggest toe. Just as if it was a cock, even though she had no experience with those, she began to suck and lap gently, pushing herself up and down the tiny length of it; all while that foot continued to taunt. As best she could in a final move, she tried to move her toes around the clit in particular, focusing on it to try and finish the job. Not much longer from the feel of things!</p><p>"Ru- Miss Rose!" Winter scarcely caught herself. Her mouth was hanging open as she panted for air, hips beginning to buck against the infuriating foot within her skirt, as her sub's tongue caressed her toe so tenderly. "Yes! YES, it's s-so good! You… I can't believe you're… MMHHH!!"</p><p>Perhaps this would take longer than she thought. Struggling to keep that up, she had to speed things along in another way. To do that, she moved on to the next toe, wrapping her lips around it in the same way. And then another, then another… And while that was continuing, she increased the speed of her teasing with her own toes, increased the pressure.</p><p>That was enough. The minute she felt Ruby's tongue threading between and caressing all five of her toes, combined with how diligent she was stimulating her overly-sensitive clit and folds, she couldn't hang on any longer, and came nearly as hard as she did earlier while seated at her desk. Except this time, she was standing. A few droplets of wetness rolled down Ruby's sole as she convulsed and cried out, her own toes curling and freezing up inside Ruby's stuffed mouth.</p><p>The curling of her toes caused Ruby's mouth to open slightly, making her giggle slightly more when she eased her foot away slowly from her mouth. There was even more of a grin to herself when she felt Winter's fluid rolling down her foot and then her leg, and she eased it down and back onto the surface of the desk. She looked back up toward her innocently, tilting her head. She had done it; she had brought Winter to climax with flying colours.</p><p>"Was that good, Miss Schnee?"</p><p>After a few more pants and gasps, she looked down at Ruby. One of her hands was still bracing herself up, but the other one raised and traced fingertips through her bangs, patted down along her own neck. She cleared her throat before trying to answer.</p><p>"That was… definitely… extra credit, Miss Rose."</p><p>Smiling gratefully, Ruby began to shuffle backward on the desk. The instant she tried to sit upright however, she winced. Her backside still wasn't ready to take too much weight just yet it seemed. "O-ow… I think I needed it, Ma’am. That's going to hurt next lesson…"</p><p>"Oh, you'll be fine. All in the name of… learning." Then she slowly crouched down over the nice form of her "student," smiling weakly. "Now, let's just see if I can climb down… you stay put for a moment." Nodding, Ruby laid herself back down again to ease the pressure, maintaining eye contact with her all the while. Winter stepped straight into her heels and shivered.</p><p>"Ohhh, that feels so strange with your saliva in there…" But she recovered quickly, turning back to Ruby. "Is your rear end really smarting that much?"</p><p>The girl didn't even bother trying to sit up anymore. Instead, to make her way off the desk she rolled to her front, pushing herself backward that way. "Yeah, I think I should have stopped it sooner. Live and learn, I guess."</p><p>"Wait." Her hand fell to the back of Ruby's calf to stop her. "May I…? For a moment. Just a moment, if you don't mind."</p><p>"Huh?" Only just managing to look around to Winter, she paused for a moment. What more could she possibly play out for their scene?! Curiously however, she nodded. "D-do you want me to roll back over?"</p><p>"No, no, you're fine where you are." Her hands began to slide up and down the backs of her thighs, delicately gliding around her hips instead of over her backside. Then she leaned down and pressed her lips to one of the reddened cheeks.</p><p>"I'm sorry you're in pain. But I hope you'll use it to remember me fondly."</p><p>The soft lips of her Dom were enough to bring a smile to her own lips again. A soothing gesture such as that was more than enough to put her at ease, and she relaxed against the hard surface of the desk. Winter always took such good care of her. "Oh I will, Miss Schnee," she agreed, smiling in her direction. "This has been a lesson I'm never gonna forget."</p><p>"Excellent. Now… your teacher wants one last little fringe benefit." Her hands began to slide down Ruby's legs, then wrapped around her ankles, gently raising them upward. "If that's alright with Miss Rose."</p><p>Too curious of what Winter would do, she nodded without hesitation. Seconds later, Ruby could feel lips pressing into the ball of her foot, then again in her arch. Tender and affectionate, all too happy to be where they were. Right away Ruby's toes curled. In comparison to the harsh spanking this was a godsend, the perfect way for her to unwind. Quietly humming with joy, she laid still against the desk obediently, letting her Dom do as she wished.</p><p>Seemed their scene included aftercare this time.</p><p>As her lips made their way to the toes, her fingers began to knead gently into the tender arches. As strong as her desire to enjoy this particular kink seemed to be, Winter was also determined to give back. Worshipping and massaging at the same time wasn't too difficult of a task. Back and forth, Ruby flexed her toes with the tender kisses. And now with the massaging against her sole. She was skilled at this as well it seemed, given from how instantly relaxed she was even after a few seconds. Only just managing to look back, she spoke softly.</p><p>"Wi- Ma’am… Why are you so good to me?"</p><p>Switching her mouth from one set of toes to the other, Winter whispered in a passionate voice, "Ruby, who wouldn't be good to someone as perfect as you?"</p><p><em>Ruby. </em>Not "Miss Rose".</p><p>The once-relaxed expression suddenly seemed to be deep in thought. Unlike her in every way, Winter had slipped out of character. It was usually only something drastic that would cause her to do that, why did it happen now?</p><p><em>Because she likes you, too. </em>The way Winter went above and beyond with every scene's setup, checking every detail. She even took the time to save her from a potentially damaging Dom, something that another might not have done. The more she thought about it, there was only one reasonable explanation.</p><p><em>Holy shiz, she actually does. She actually </em>does <em>like you back!</em></p><p>But for now, she was too scared to say anything. She needed to weigh the pros and cons of whatever her next move would be. Whether she should continue with her plan to keep things strictly a Dom-and-sub arrangement, or do what Penny suggested; tell the truth and hope for the best.</p><p>Meanwhile, it really seemed as if Winter hasn't noticed her own slip; she was far too preoccupied with the rare treat her sub was offering. After another few minutes, she hummed and said, "My essence on your toes… it's a really unique flavour…"</p><p>Flexing them back and forth one more time, Ruby finally took the steps to get off the desk. While she was undecided, she still wanted to spend time with Winter. And they had time; as far as she knew, Winter's roommate was away all night and tomorrow until the afternoon. As long as she left before then, they could extend their aftercare until the next day.</p><p>Once she had returned to her feet again, she smiled, curling her toes against the ground. "Was certainly interesting trying to get you off like that, Ma’am."</p><p>"Was it now?" Smiling over at her, the temporary teacher wiped her mouth as she told her, "You took to it like a duck to water. I'm impressed."</p><p>Grinning back, she nodded lightly in agreement. It was good to be complimented when she stepped outside her comfort zone, it helped her feel motivated to do more. However, sensing there wouldn't be much left of the scene from now, she asked a question. One that could potentially give the best clue as to how Winter felt.</p><p>"So… do you <em>like-</em>like me, Miss Schnee? Or are your feelings… is this still just a fling-thing?"</p><p>But Winter was still in a professional state of mind. "Oh, Miss Rose… even if I did find you… perfectly suited to me, nothing can come of it. You're my student; we've already gone too far as it is. Trying to be with you on a more permanent, romantic basis…" Her shrug was resigned.</p><p>"…Why?" Ruby didn't accept that answer. Not without hearing the proper reason. She wanted some sort of info she could use, and not just that of her character in this scene. Approaching her to wrap her arms around her, she gently looked into her eyes again. "We're both adults, no one would ever know. Why wouldn't you want to do more?"</p><p>"Because… oh, Miss Rose, of course I would." Petting along her naked back, she whispered, "But I can't ask you to throw away your future on an old woman like me. It wouldn't be fair to you. Find another girl your age and…"</p><p>"What if I don't want a girl my age?" She couldn’t help but squeeze her closer, looking up as she rested her chin close to her collarbone. Smiling happily at the warmth of her body, she went on, "I don't want boring girls from my class, they're all the same. But you… I don’t care if you’re a teacher; you're a lot of things I could want. I'd love to have the chance to show you."</p><p>Gulping, Winter began to run her fingers through Ruby's hair as she leaned closer, eyes half-closed. After a few seconds, she whispered, "You really… want to try a relationship with me? It would be difficult. We would have to hide who we were together, every day at school. Being fired from my job would be the least of my worries if they ever found out."</p><p>"I'm pretty good at keeping secrets. But, if the risk is that great… I don’t wanna ruin your life." Her student seemed to think on that for a moment. The very thought of having to leave even had her tightening her arms around her, like she never wanted to let her go; but she didn't want to risk getting her teacher in trouble.</p><p>But it got her thinking; what were the risks outside play? Now that she knew Mr Schnee would barely bat an eyelid, there didn't seem to be any. Penny had given her blessing. There was possibly Yang, considering what Winter had done to her before; but that was so long ago and she had forgiven her. When she thought about it, there really was nothing in reality that could stop them.</p><p>But she hasn't given Winter a real answer yet. "Then perhaps… one night? Then we can return to normal."</p><p>"I thought that's what this was. Unless…" Winter's expression was mildly puzzled when she pulled back, peering down at the shorter woman with something like disbelief. "Do you mean to come home with me, little Rose?"</p><p>Right away, Ruby nodded. She finally released her grip again to look at her properly, and instead placed her hands on her hips. "If you'll have me there? It's up to you, Miss Schnee."</p><p>Indecision reigned supreme on the Dom's face. "Hmm… it's unwise. And what will your parents say when you never come home tonight, hmm? Do you make a habit of this?"</p><p>Ruby could only laugh to herself. "You think I do this with other teachers? No, I'd just tell them I'm at a sleepover with… one of my fellow students."</p><p>"And that would be… accepted by them? You're sure?" Petting along Ruby's back absentmindedly, she contemplated the idea. "Well… not sleeping alone might be nice… but why would you want to? We've already enjoyed each other to the fullest here in the classroom. You're not still horny, are you?!"</p><p>"Miss Schnee, there's way more I like about you besides just being hot." But on that subject, she finally began to move away from Winter and to the pile of clothes. There was no point in even wearing the tights when they were drenched, so she skipped them.</p><p>"Really?" Her eyes followed the "student's" every movement as she began to dress in… <em>most </em>of what she had worn that evening. "Such as…?"</p><p>"I thought I told you this earlier?" But she just continued to slide on her skirt, then move onto the shirt and jacket. As she buttoned it up, she went on, "You're caring of your students, even when you don't have to be. You go above and beyond when it comes to teaching… and I know there's a lot for me to learn about you, but I <em>want</em> to. I want to learn about a more romantic Winter Schnee."</p><p>But the instant that slipped out, she immediately froze up, inwardly cursing herself. Not like that! Quickly she stammered, <em>"M-miss </em>Schnee."</p><p>Winter did blink a few times, and it took her longer than usual to respond. But when she did, what she said was, "V-very well. Just this once, but we can't make a habit of it; the risk to both our futures is simply too great." Her hands raised as she walked over, and she began to adjust the buttons and the necktie, making Ruby a lot closer to how she had looked before arriving that night. Without the tights, of course.</p><p>"Y-yes… Yeah, of course." The tightly shut eyes were enough of a clue that Ruby was still beating herself up over that slip of character. How long would it take for the inevitable to happen? For her to slip so much she might confess to Winter before she was ready? That was the recurring question in her head.</p><p>But her Dom’s soft touches were enough to calm her down. At the least, she was fairly confident that even if she <em>did</em><span> realise her crush was real</span>, her Dom would respect those feelings enough to acknowledge them and simply admit she didn't feel the same way without holding it against her. At the very least, no matter what she did, there was still a lasting friendship. That's what mattered more than the "and more" part.</p><p>"I can't wait." Winter picked up a briefcase that was on the floor next to the desk, then turned to help Ruby collect her supplies and stow them in her backpack. "Would you fetch me your… eraser?"</p><p>That was a point. Where was it? She had let it go when Winter allowed her to, it must have rolled off somewhere. In fact… when Ruby remained quiet a moment, she could still hear its muffled buzzing. Turning around to crouch by the desk, she soon managed to find it beneath. Immediately she turned it off, then handed it to Winter. "Must have rolled under there! Oops."</p><p>"Of course," she chuckled as she gave it a little kiss, then tucked it into the pencil case. Once everything was stashed, she handed the bag to Ruby. "Are you ready to go?"</p><p>Hauling the bag onto her shoulders she smiled, and nodded once more. "Yeah, Ready."</p><p>"Good. Let's go, little Rose."</p><p>And with that, Winter led Ruby from the room. The minute they were out in the hallway, she sighed and said, "Aaand, end play. <em>Whew!</em> That was… quite a ride!"</p><p>For a moment, she blinked. Her student has assumed their play was going to continue into the night, like the first time they did their Harry Potter scene. But now Winter had other thoughts, she forced a smile. "Y-yeah! That was… Pretty exciting!"</p><p>"Thank you for indulging my… well, what you figured out about…" She moved the tip of her high heel from side to side for emphasis. "Wasn't expecting that, but it was a lot of fun."</p><p>It was enough to prompt a very real chuckle from her sub. Looking down to her feet, she moved one of her own forward into Winter's vision. "You really liked that, huh? Didn’t expect you to be <em>that</em> <span>into it</span><span>.</span>"</p><p>"Sorry." Her cheeks were warming again as she led Ruby toward the living room. "It's… not something I go around advertising. Hopefully you understand why, since it's looked down upon by most people. I'm not even sure when it started; probably after I entered the BDSM scene, since I don't remember caring one bit about feet before then."</p><p>"I… guess different kinks appear at different times." Although as soon as they were headed in the direction opposite to her bedroom, she looked in that direction, then toward Winter again, then back. "Wait… I thought I was staying the night?"</p><p>"What? Oh, I… assumed that was just part of play. That Miss Rose would be staying the night with Ms. Schnee. You know my roommate will be here tomorrow afternoon." Looking uncomfortable now, she added, "Though I guess I could set an alarm…"</p><p>"O-oh… Yeah, right, I forgot." In actuality, she didn't at all. But it seemed a better excuse than divulging exactly why she wanted to stay the night. That she would rather leave for another day. For now, she shrugged her shoulders, quickly trying to change the subject. "No, don't worry! I can get Penny to come get me. It's not too late, s-so…"</p><p>"Penny dropped you off? Ah. Well… I could drive you home." Glancing down at her "teacher" uniform, she laughed and added, "Do up a few buttons, and I'll be presentable enough. Is… unless you'd rather I don't."</p><p>Sparing a quick peek again at the lovely amount of cleavage Winter displayed, Ruby quite obviously bit her lip, looking back up again.</p><p>"Maybe not… <em>just </em>yet."</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS: Just a lot of drama.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 9</b>
</p><p>That night, Ruby was barely able to sleep. Their session had been beyond fantastic as usual, which usually left her exhausted enough to start napping in the car on the journey home; but this had been completely different. There were a few flirtatious comments between them both on their journey, but nothing more. And even when laying by Penny's side, she couldn't sleep. She just kept thinking about what had happened.</p><p>Winter liked her. She <em>must </em>have liked her. All this time, it had been right under her nose, she was just too blind to see it! And what did she do? Nothing. She bottled things up as usual, too scared of her own feelings or a sense of judgement to confess how she really felt. There was a possible relationship right there that would make her feel complete, the perfect complement to her emotional closeness with Penny, and she was too scared to grasp it.</p><p><em>No more,</em> she said to herself. She was tired of lying awake in fear; she had to do something.<em> Whether it helps or not, I have to tell her.</em></p><p>And the next day, she did. After dropping off her father at Yang and Weiss's, the nervous little brunette drove straight to Winter's. No prearranged session, no word of warning. Just her dropping in out of the blue. It was completely different from any contact she had with Winter before. When she knocked at the door, she could already feel her heart pounding.</p><p>"Just a moment," she heard distantly. There was a long pause, some approaching steps. Then she heard a gasp. <em>"Ruby?!"</em></p><p>An instant later, the door was being unlatched and jerked open. There stood Winter, dressed in her usual business best. It looked as if she were about to leave for some meeting or other, even though she had yet to slip her heels on over her nylon-covered feet. Makeup already impeccable, she blinked slowly, baffled and waiting for an explanation.</p><p>"I need to talk to you." The look on her face spoke volumes about her desperation. She looked as though she had already been worrying for days – because she had. "Is this a good time? Or should I…?"</p><p>"Well… I have about fifteen minutes, I was just going to head out a little early. Come in, come in."</p><p>To drive the point home, she stood back and opened the door a little wider. Doing as asked, Ruby paced inside immediately. If it was anything minor, she would have arranged to come back another day, especially with Winter seeming to have plans. But she was in need. Right away, she walked into the living room, standing rather than sitting just yet.</p><p>"Sorry to show up so out of the blue like this."</p><p>"My red rose out of the blue," Winter joked with a quiet smile, picking up her heels and sitting in the chair. "Go ahead. What's up?"</p><p>"W-well…" Before she entered the door, she had rehearsed this in her head. Exactly what she would say, possible responses and outcomes. Now…</p><p>Blank. Her mind was completely and utterly blank. Why did she even come here in the first place? She clearly wasn't ready, not for this.</p><p><em>No!</em> she told herself, shaking her head again. <em>You can NOT do this again, Ruby Rose! You have to </em><em>say something </em><em>now – </em><em>or no more cookies for a week</em><em>! </em>Swallowing, she continued to stand by Winter's sofa, staring outward rather blankly. "I-I've… been thinking. About our arrangement, what it means to us both."</p><p>"Have you?" Winter asked mildly as she pulled one shoe on. Carefully, as if knowing that Ruby was having trouble and that the best thing she could do for her was to be indifferent; to not overreact.</p><p>"Y-yes." Nerves were getting to her again. Not even a few seconds into the confession and she was already beginning to feel that she couldn't continue. Powering through, however, she looked back toward Winter. "The way you treat me… i-it's different, from how other Doms treat their subs. I saw in the club, they treat them as their friends, or casual hookups. The nice ones still care, sure, but they don't seem to go… above and beyond. And like… the more sessions we do, the more I begin to realise… y-you treat me like Blake would treat Sun. Still as a Dom, but… <em>more.</em> There's more set up, more care. You go over the moon and back to impress me with everything, make sure I’m safe, a-and happy."</p><p>Slowly, as she had continued speaking, Winter's eyebrows drew together. She had picked up the other heel, but it simply lay in her hands as she processed Ruby's words. Finally, she shrugged and tried to respond as best she could.</p><p>"That's because you <em>are</em> more than that to me. You're a friend, and a family member. And… I care about you very much. You're right that if it was purely a Dom-sub arrangement with someone I <em>only </em>know from The Clamp, I wouldn't be quite as caring; professional, and considerate, yes. And I'd definitely stop them from winding up in Cinderella's clutches regardless," she added with a frown.</p><p>"It's not just about Cinderella," she pushed ahead, finally finding herself sitting on the arm of Winter's sofa. Looking down a moment, she seemed to think a little longer before speaking up again. "You bought so much for our scenes, spent so much on me, just for a little fun. You brought a chapter of a book and film I love to life, for God’s sake!"</p><p>Again, Winter had to blink, before laughing - it was the kind of unsure laughter of someone who doesn't know what to think about what they're hearing. "But… but that was what you wanted, wasn't it? Is that what this is about, worrying about the cost? I told you, that doesn't matter to me. Seeing you happy is worth it."</p><p>"N-no. That's just it!" Looking straight at her instead, it seemed she was finally coming to the conclusion of their small talk. "You do all this, just for me. You do <em>everything</em> to make me happy… and it <em>does </em>make me happy, happy someone cares about me so much. But I can't help but feel that…" Moment of truth. The first phase of her confession, finding out how Winter felt…</p><p>"That you care about me as <em>more </em>than a friend. More than a family-in-law member."</p><p>The elder of the Schnee sisters didn't respond at first. She simply stared at the coffee table between them, trying to process what she was being asked-but-not-asked. Or, perhaps more accurately, trying to find how she was going to respond to it.</p><p>"Well… I… don't know what's making you think that. Is there something wrong with me wanting to treat you well? To show that you're not just some sub? That may be true, but the way you're saying it… is it such a bad thing to care about you?"</p><p>"No, it's not at all!" It seemed not to have come out how she intended. Not only did Ruby gain no knowledge, she had potentially insulted her. That was the last thing she wanted. Now was her only chance. "What I'm getting at I-is… I-I care about you, too. A hell of a lot! And the more I've been thinking about it, the more I've been realising - I care about you more than I would an average friend, even <em>best </em>friend. You're… on the same level as Penny." Swallowing one last time, she finally managed to find the courage. "What I'm trying to say is that… That I-"</p><p>But there was a clear clattering of the lock again at the door, one loud enough to stop her in her tracks. The worst thing was the voice that accompanied the sound – one that seemed familiar.</p><p>"Snowbird, you in? I have had a real crappy day, I swear to God."</p><p>Eyes flying wide, she turned to Ruby and hissed in a low but urgent voice, "I need you to go hide immediately. I'm sorry, but if our arrangement really does mean anything to you… this is <em>very </em>important. Go!"</p><p>"B-but-!" Another shush from Winter stopped the thoughts in their tracks. Doing as asked, Ruby made a quick dash for the bathroom, slowly shutting it behind her so there wasn't too much noise. What was going on? Curiosity got the better of her; she she pressed her ear against the door to listen in.</p><p>"Customers, they are fuckin' jerks. Bar told me to go home early cause they could tell I was too pissed off not to take it out on some random sap."</p><p>"That's a shame," Winter was saying. Her voice was slightly more strained than usual, but not by much. "I know you like that job most days of the week. You… haven't been partaking of their stock again, have you?"</p><p>"Nah, we just got a bachelor party. Told them they had too much, they got pissy. Nearly picked a fight with me, I swear. But home now…"</p><p>By this point, Ruby knew she recognised that voice. There was no way it could be who she thought it was… could it? She needed to know. Gently easing the door further open, she slowly looked through the crack, revealing it to be…</p><p>Exactly who she dreaded it was. There stood a salt-and-pepper haired man, who had just wrapped his arms around Winter. The man who pulled her close to him and was smirking suggestively was one of the worst people she could ever see in this situation.</p><p>Her Uncle Qrow. <em>Winter was living with her uncle.</em></p><p>“Now, now,” Winter cooed, her voice pitched so low that Ruby couldn’t have heard it if the door were closed. It wasn't quite affectionate in the way of a girlfriend, but more like… the term "fuckbuddy" that Yang liked to use seemed applicable. "You know I don't have time for this; I'm off to a meeting. I didn't think you'd be home now, anyway."</p><p>"Awwww, you sure they can't wait twenty minutes? You know it only takes me that long to make you scream." Smirking downward at her, he gave her a light grasp on the backside. "Especially if that bed frame of yours is involved, hmm?"</p><p>This was even worse for Ruby. Not only was she having to deal with the knowledge that one day, her uncle could walk in on them in any moment, but now… it seemed they were both sleeping with the same woman. While Winter had been her Dom, she had still been with her uncle! That crossed all kinds of awkward lines!</p><p>Winter's giggle and "Ooh" didn't help matters much. But then she did say, "Tonight. Just corral your horses for the time being, and we will revisit this when I'm back." Then, as an afterthought, she cleared her throat and said, "Why don't you take a little nap? Might help you relax after work… be ready for plenty of action later."</p><p>Qrow only seemed to chuckle, even if he was retracting from her grip. "You're <em>telling </em>me to be a lazy ass today? Wow, are you feeling okay?"</p><p>"Fine, fine. You've earned it for tonight." In return for him squeezing her behind, she delivered a quick swat to his. "Get in there and relax a bit. I have to be off, anyway."</p><p>"I’ll spare myself that kind of <em>relaxing</em>, if you wanna do a scene later. I know you’re happy when it's extra hard." Still, he obediently followed the request. He headed straight for the spare bedroom, thankfully not noticing the slightly ajar bathroom door and little Ruby's eye peeking through it, watching his every movement.</p><p>Her own uncle… Winter had been living with him for months. None of this was mentioned, and yet, it was still going on. This was madness! <em>Sick!</em></p><p>The minute the bedroom door shut, Winter started pacing down the hall, as if to open the door. But when she saw it was already open and Ruby was peering through, she waved at her to come out - while her other hand raised a finger to her lips, cautioning her to be quiet.</p><p>She would have been, anyway. More from shock than anything else. She was still trying to take everything in that had just happened. Qrow, all this time she had no idea it was Qrow. Nor did she have any idea that they were doing scenes together, something she should have probably guessed when they were both in the same club! God, she felt stupid.</p><p>Once they were back in the living room, she pointed toward the bedroom, talking in a hushed voice, "Qrow?! <em>My Uncle Qrow?!"</em></p><p>"Ah," Winter breathed. Her expression had already been strained from the near-miss… but now it fell entirely. "So… you recognised him."</p><p>"Of course I recognised him! The man more or less raised me with Dad for over ten years!" Now that Ruby was beginning to come to terms with it, she was becoming more angry than anything else. A mixture of angry and sad. Even if she was keeping her volume down, it was obvious. "Why didn't you tell me that he's living here?! That you and him are a thing, too?! That's kinda something you oughtta tell his <em>niece</em><span> before you start any hanky panky</span>!"</p><p>"Let's discuss this on the way to my car," Winter whispered as she moved to pick up her briefcase again. Her actions were highly anxious, but she was trying her best to remain calm. "Otherwise, he may come out to see why I haven't left yet, and perhaps I'm wrong, but I think you'd rather not have this discussion with <em>both </em>of us."</p><p>While she wanted to continue ranting, that was a fair point on Winter's behalf. The last thing they needed was for Qrow to know this was happening, as well; that would be awkward for both of them to explain. Reluctantly agreeing, she walked ahead to the door, waiting outside of it for Winter to follow.</p><p>Once on the other side, Winter locked the door and began speaking the moment she turned away from it. "So you do have a fair point. I know that… because of the familial situation, maybe I should have told you. On the other hand, it wasn't really any of your business."</p><p>"Wasn't any of my- that's my UNCLE!" she repeated again, without holding herself back on volume this time. She remembered her apartment was soundproofed, so there was no chance of him hearing. But didn't exactly realise the rest of the building was not. "It may not be my business normally, but like, isn’t this kind of a different situation?! You just kept <em>banging my uncle</em> and tried to make sure I never noticed!"</p><p>Taking off at a fast clip, Winter led the two of them to the elevators as she hissed, "Exactly. Because my arrangement with him is no one's business whatsoever. Just like mine and yours isn't his business, either. That's how this is supposed to work, you know."</p><p>"Don't lecture me on how this is supposed to work!" she snapped back. Regardless of the fact she quite honestly wanted to get away from Winter right now, she entered the elevator, keeping right to one corner and out of the way. But from her scowl, she was still livid. "I thought 'None of your business' meant somebody like Sun or Blake! I didn't realise that meant 'Family members included'!"</p><p>"He <em>is</em> a friend. To <em>me</em>. Don't forget, he's <em>your </em>uncle, not mine." Sighing, she thumbed the button and they began to descend to the parking levels. "Look. I am sorry that you finding this out upset you, but I stand by what I said; you didn't have any more right to this knowledge than he does. Maybe I should have thought through the discomfort of the situation a little more and been more careful, but that's not the same as saying I was <em>obligated</em> to disclose."</p><p>"No, you're not. But like, maybe you should have considered how I'd feel about it before you started training me! Especially if… If you really…" She couldn't even finish that sentence anymore. Now that this information had come to light, she didn't know what to think. As much as she wanted to ignore it all, simply push it to the back of her mind and ignore it had all happened, she couldn't. This was far too big to sweep under the rug.</p><p>When Ruby didn't go on, she sighed. "What? So now you think I don't care about you just because I have arrangements with other people? It's not even as if you and Qrow are my only 'clients'; Glynda, for one, has asked me to put her through a few more sessions. And there are others I haven’t told you about, because it’s not pertinent to you and I. The whole point of this not being personal is that it's not supposed to be personal! And before you get any ideas, no, I didn't <em>intend </em>to ‘collect’ an uncle and a niece; it wasn't something that tickled my fancy, and I never thought of you while with him, or him while with you. And I am very serious about that."</p><p>"Well maybe I came today to make it a little more personal!"</p><p>In that moment, silence fell. All she could do was take a few deep breaths to calm down. While before she was filled with anger and sadness, now that they had come to this crossroads, she felt something else: <em>f</em><em>ear.</em> This definitely wasn't how she was supposed to confess her feelings…</p><p>"Yes, I remember," Winter breathed softly. "But… obviously I can't take that to heart yet. Now that this has changed the discussion." Regret was heavy in her features as the elevator doors slid open, and she began walking through the garage. Continuing to follow, Ruby made her way toward her little red car that looked inferior compared to the rest of the vehicles in the garage. How fitting with her current emotions.</p><p>Before she completely parted ways with Winter, however, she spoke up again. "So that's it? I just accept it and we don’t change anything, me and him hiding from each other and I have to deal?"</p><p>"Why not?!" Winter burst out, stopping in her tracks to glare at Ruby. "What's wrong with the way things have been until now? Everyone got what they wanted! I… may have wanted more, but I was satisfied, and so were you, and so was Qrow! What’s the harm?!"</p><p>Glaring right back at her, she was barely able to hold her tears back anymore, feeling the odd one or two falling down her cheek. "The harm is I thought you liked me! Liked me enough to let me know this was a thing, anyway! Of <em>course</em> I feel weird about it! You'd feel weird if I was sleeping with your dad, or with Weiss, wouldn't you?!"</p><p>"RIGHT!" Winter burst out, striding right up to Ruby, face livid. The mask of calm she always seemed to wear was now gone, and the sheer level of fury was all the more startling for it. "Because I have no idea what it's like to have family and sexual escapades get a little too close for comfort, DO I? You wouldn't do that to ME! Oh no, of COURSE not!"</p><p>"THAT ISN'T FAIR!" She yelled right back, hands curling into fists to try and hold in her anger. "You can't do that! It’s not my fault that you went through all that shit! Don't you throw that at me!!!"</p><p><em>"YOU FUCKED ME IN FRONT OF MY FATHER!"</em> Her chest was heaving, eyes wild. Ruby took a step back when she realised what they were talking about: not some old issues about her prostituting herself to protect Weiss. No, not that; something<em> much</em><span> more recent.</span> "I bet you haven't had a bad night's sleep about it since you did it! Have you?! Never once cared, never… didn't consider that maybe you shouldn't have done that, even though I was clearly aroused! Have you?!"</p><p>The younger girl’s lip wobbled for a second as she dealt with the storm of emotions threatening to make her burst into tears. "WRONG! I haven't slept, not one wink! And since that time, barely at all, because I thought that… thought that you loved me as much as I love you! You have no idea-"</p><p>"I DO, Goddamn you! Even after that, after y-you poisoned my dreams, I still…" Now Winter's tears were falling as well. "How am I supposed to be in the same room as him ever again?"</p><p>Stopping in her tracks, Ruby waited right by her car door. She hadn't unlocked it yet, and for good reason. Winter was really hurt, about <em>that?</em> She had assumed that was something that she had enjoyed, given her response to it in the midst of their play, but now upon realising it was damaging…</p><p>"Holy shiz, I… Winter, oh my God, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "You didn’t say- okay, I know that doesn’t mean you weren’t hurt. I'm sorry I fucked up, okay? But that doesn't… doesn't mean I'm not hurt still by this. I know I shouldn't… but I just feel… feel inferior."</p><p>"Well, you shouldn't." Winter pushed a hand into her face, letting out a laugh that was more like a sob. "Now I'm going to have to fix my makeup before the meeting." Waving away that observation, she stood straighter, looking down at Ruby with a wrung-out, haunted expression.</p><p>"You think if anyone else had done what you did to me while I was talking to him, I would have pushed through it? Would have continued play? I would have kicked them out of my life completely. Never to come back. It's just… maybe, if we had discussed it beforehand, it would be another story. But you made an assumption that because I was still turned on from our play before he came in, that you could just… start in on me. And I thought I could handle it, so I didn't really try to stop you, and then…" Her head hung. "And then I was too ashamed of enjoying it to ask. I didn't want to admit it was happening, or… I don't know."</p><p>Now sadness was starting to return with a vengeance. She didn't even want to look at Winter in that moment. Seeing the damage she had done would be far too much for her heart. She had come to settle things, to pursue an incredible relationship; this was the <em>last</em> thing she wanted. To not just have muddled things, but to have learned she had hurt her in their previous session. She couldn't take that.</p><p>"I really am sorry," she repeated, finally unlocking the door of her car. "I-I… I don't deserve you. I'm sorry I ruined everything."</p><p>And with that, she got in, belting up and starting it before she could even reply. She needed to get back home, somewhere she could deal with her feelings.</p><p>But Winter wasn't quite finished, it seemed. Through the pane of glass and over the roar of the engine, she could just barely hear, "Ruby? Ruby, I…" And then more words that weren't loud enough.</p><p>Not loud enough to stop her. As tempting as it was to turn back, Ruby stuck to her intent, driving past Winter and out to the main road. She wanted to look back, but knew the pain would only be too great if she did. Through tearful eyes, she made her way home.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Penny had just returned from a job interview herself. Everything had gone quite well; they really responded well to her attitude and politeness, and said they were excited to contact her soon! Her mood felt impenetrably positive. Maybe their lives were about to go smoothly, after all.</p><p>That was, until she heard the tires squealing and the car screeching to a halt in the driveway. Someone else was not having quite as good a day. Soon enough, the door swung open. Ruby was certainly glad that she had dropped her father off before all this began; she couldn't deal with him right now. All she wanted to do was lay down and cry.</p><p>And that's what she did. Assuming that her girlfriend was still out, she went straight to the living room, throwing herself across the sofa and snatching the nearest cushion, cuddling into it as closely as she could and began to let the tears flow. Finally she could sob as loudly as she wanted, out of view from anyone who would judge her too harshly.</p><p>At least she assumed so. It was several minutes before Penny approached from the kitchen, walking softly enough in her socks that she wasn't heard. But she finally whispered in a fearful tone, "Ruby?"</p><p>Ruby gasped. Sniffing and wiping away the few tears, she turned to face her, just managing to strain her voice. "H-hey. I didn't know you were back."</p><p>"You don't have to pretend you weren't crying for me," Penny told her very simply as she knelt by the couch. "What's the matter?"</p><p>Joining Penny was a small grey Corgi, tail wiggling away as he looked up at her. Seemed he too could sense something was wrong. Mostly in need of something to cuddle other than a cushion, she shifted over on the sofa to sit upright. After picking up Zwei to place him on her lap, she patted the space by her side, inviting Penny up.</p><p>"Things went… really wrong."</p><p>Penny did join her, sliding an arm around the small of her partner's back. "In what way?"</p><p>While her hands were occupied with Zwei, she leaned against Penny instead, nuzzling her head right into her neck as she sniffed again. She barely even knew where to start! "So many, Penny. I… I fucked up. Badly."</p><p>"Shhh, shhh," Penny soothed her, hand petting along her back. "You're okay. It's okay, I'm sure you didn't mean to do whatever you did. I know you better than that, Ruby."</p><p>"I did though…" Sniffing again, she tried to nuzzle even closer. "It was something I did… I pushed the limits, I went too far…"</p><p>And with that, she went on to explain everything. She explained the session, where she had managed to get Winter off with her father right there in the room. She then explained what happened when she went over to tell her how she felt, how it turned out Winter's roommate was Qrow all this time, and how he was also doing sessions with her. In the end, she ended up crying again, whimpering as she cuddled Zwei closer.</p><p>Penny let her weep for some time before she bothered to respond. Minutes had gone by with her doing no more than shushing her and petting along her back. When Ruby's voice finally got a little less distraught, her sobs quieter, she spoke up.</p><p>"So… I promise I will try to be impartial. You both have very good points."</p><p>"I completely screwed it up, Pen," she confessed, sniffing once more. "How could I be so selfish? I should have asked her before doing that. And with Qrow I… I don't even know."</p><p>"You should have asked, yes. Personally, I find the idea of doing that in front of anyone's relatives to be disgusting, but I understand it was the heat of the moment… and that for other people, it's not the same as for me." She was being completely matter-of-fact, never taking her hand away from Ruby's back as she explained her point of view.</p><p>"I know… I know I just… I wasn't thinking. I guess I…" Blinking again, she didn't know what to really say. There was no defence for her actions; she crossed the line, that was that. "I guess I was trying to prove that I'm brave, a-and sexy? Not some… some little girl who thinks she’s grown up just because I’m over twenty-one."</p><p>"I'm sure she doesn't see you as a little girl, Ruby." Kissing the top of her head, Penny went on, "As for Qrow, I can see both sides of the issue. I don't really think either one of you is 'wrong' in this situation. Even if Winter should have considered telling you to make sure no one was left feeling uncomfortable, it wasn't an obligation; from what I understand, most Dom-sub relationships have sort of an unwritten 'non-disclosure agreement', don't they?"</p><p>"But my <em>uncle?!"</em> Thankfully, Ruby had calmed down a little more. Being nuzzled up to her girlfriend while having a warm pooch on her lap was certainly helping. Idly petting through his soft fur, she sighed. "I know it's dumb. But it just makes me think dumb things. What if she was sleeping with my dad? With Yang? I thought… thought she would understand why I was flipping out."</p><p>"I'm guessing that she expected you would feel this way if you found out. So she didn't tell you." Shrugging, Penny also reached over to scratch Zwei's flank. "But I definitely understand your feelings. If I found out my partner was sleeping with anyone in my family, I… well, I honestly can't say how I would react. But I wouldn't be thrilled."</p><p>"It's not the whole idea of 'I've put my mouth where my uncle’s dick has been', like I think she thinks. Like, that’s definitely gross, but she can sleep with who she wants." There was no other way to put it, as much as she wanted to word it better for Penny. Sighing as she scratched behind the dog's ear, she looked at the ground blankly. "It's… different. I can't explain why, or how, but it's the feeling that I’m not good enough, or something, so she needs someone else. Is that weird to think?"</p><p>Frowning, Penny turned to her. "But didn't you say she told you that she cares for you, after all? I mean, I know it was in the middle of an argument, but it's still her feelings."</p><p>"I know… but why should she care now?" Able to feel the tears returning again, she moved one of her hands to Penny's shoulder, using it to hug her move closely. "She said she cared, I told her I want more, she wanted the same… but I more or less spat in her face and made it all about me. I don't deserve love after that."</p><p>"What are you saying? Of course you deserve love!" With a quiet sigh, she embraced Ruby back, nuzzling into her head. "Of course you were both upset about this happening, and an argument occurred. Maybe in a few days, when things have calmed down-"</p><p>"I don't think so, Penny," she whimpered. The hand on her shirt began to grip tightly as she took in a few more shaky breaths. "If she poured her heart out to me and I cared only about myself; then what good would I be to her? I'm surprised you put up with me sometimes…"</p><p>"Don't do that to yourself," Penny admonished gently. "You were very upset. I understand that, and Winter probably did, as well. But if you want to take some time away… I will understand that, too. This is a unique situation." Kissing her head again, she added in a soft whisper, "And I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry."</p><p>Another few shaky breaths, and Ruby found herself leaning against Penny fully. The grip on her shirt loosened again, now that she was positive Penny wouldn't be leaving any time soon. Still, she wasn't in the mood to make herself feel any better. "I seriously don't know why you put up with me… I vent to you about all this stuff that shouldn't matter, about other people, other sexual situations. God… I just feel so selfish."</p><p>"And I didn't want you to start dating Winter. That felt very selfish. Human beings are selfish creatures, Ruby. Being selfless isn't the goal; it's to acknowledge your selfish desires as what they are, and work past them. That's all we can hope to do."</p><p>"You… didn't?" Taken aback, Ruby backed away from her lover for a moment, looking her in the eyes. "Then… why did you let me? I asked you if you were okay with it, and you said ‘yes’. Are you… really not okay with it?"</p><p>Penny laughed at her confusion and fear, but it was a gentle laugh. "Yes, I am. Because I want you to be happy. But that's not the same as <em>wanting </em>you to date her. Like if you donate blood; you don't actually want someone to stab you with a needle and drain part of you away. But you do want the other person to have the blood they need. That's far more important than worrying about your own momentary discomfort." In an undertone, she added, "Which is why I try to get to the Red Cross a few times a year."</p><p>"But… me having feelings for her…" Shuffling a little more was enough to prompt Zwei to finally hop off her, scampering straight into the kitchen afterwards. Ruby continued to look at Penny, still checking. "You know that means I'd be treating her the same as you, right? As in, romantically? That's what… what I meant when I asked."</p><p>"I see." Debating inwardly for a moment, she said, "Would you treat me as lesser than Winter? As inferior to her?"</p><p>"No way!" she reassured, finding herself gripping her shoulder again. "Absolutely not. You'd both be the same. Sure, I'd see you more, because I want to live with you; but neither of you will be inferior, I could <em>never</em><span> do that to you</span>."</p><p>"Then why would I have a problem with that? You're happy, and you care about me the way I care about you. That's fine with me. Even if you end up dating <em>three</em> other women, as long as I don't get forgotten, I see no reason to be upset."</p><p>Continuing to stare a moment, Ruby was close enough to tears again. She really did have the perfect girlfriend, even if she didn't have Winter in the end. Perhaps there was still a chance, but perhaps not. Either way, Penny would be by her side. She leaned forward, kissing her lips firmly. Penny didn't hesitate in the slightest to return the kiss, pulling Ruby in as close as was possible. Grateful to have her home, and to have helped console her at least somewhat. Her hands drifted up and down her back, then settled into squeeze her even tighter.</p><p>When they broke apart, Penny whispered, "Listen. Whether or not anything was anyone's fault, you've obviously had an upsetting day. Why don't you sit back and let me make you some chicken soup and a grilled cheese sandwich? I won't even make you eat Daiya this time!"</p><p>"When you cook it, Daiya tastes fine! It's just when I try it… Well, the bathroom got a few visits from me." She hesitantly began to let her go, but before Penny could leave the room, she asked, "Maybe we could put on a movie too? I think <em>Frozen</em> is on Netflix…"</p><p>The ginger shook her head as she stood up, smiling. "You always reach for Disney when you're down. Set it up while I get cooking." Once reaching the door to the kitchen, she looked back. "And Ruby?"</p><p>Just as she fetched the remote and sat back down, she looked back toward her girlfriend. "Yeah?"</p><p>In her usual, oddly formal singing voice, she started singing, "I love you more today, than yesterday…" Even once she had backed into the kitchen, she kept going: "But not as much as tomorrow…"</p><p>Her girlfriend belting out oldies was all it took for Ruby to finally smile again. And she did as she nuzzled back down in the sofa, setting up Netflix. At least now Ruby was in lighter spirits, she could focus on what they were to do in the future; what she should do in regards to Winter. That was, if she even wanted to pursue her after this.</p><p>But at least Penny was still with her, and didn’t even hate her for figuring out she might be polyamorous. That would see her through anything to come.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Winter was exhausted down to the bone by the time she returned from her meeting. Everything had gone quite swimmingly; a new and promising young singer looked to be interested in signing to their label. That was good for business.</p><p>And so what if she had lost Ruby? It had never been a truly permanent arrangement. The whole idea was only to train her to be a better sub and then hand her off to another, trustworthy Dom. There was no sense in getting upset about it.</p><p><em>Except there is,</em> an inner voice kept whispering. <em>You liked her. You both liked each other a great deal…</em></p><p>Shaking her head, she stepped off the elevator and strode purposefully to her apartment door. Working herself up about it again would solve nothing. It didn't before the meeting, when she bawled in the car and made herself even <em>later</em><span> by having to touch up her makeup again</span>, and there was no evidence that it would now.</p><p>Sat on the sofa by the time she got back was her roommate. As usual, with a bottle of non-alcoholic beer in his hand, and watching an old sitcom on TV. Nothing there had changed, at least. No doubt, however, she would have wished he was in bed, rather than sat there to remind her of the offer she had given before she left.</p><p>But that reminder never came. Instead, he watched as she entered the room and kicked her shoes off, barely saying a word. Other than, "Good meeting?"</p><p>"Fine." The answer was curt and simple. Turning toward the kitchen, she asked, "Are there any more of those in the refrigerator?"</p><p>"I think there's a couple in there. None of the real stuff, though." Unusual. Winter never particularly enjoyed beer. That was one sure sign that something was wrong. But rather than pry for now, he shuffled to one side of the sofa, giving plenty of room for her to sit when she returned. "What's the occasion, Snowbird? Run outta wine?"</p><p>"Need something stronger, and I don't want to uncork a bottle, and deal with the cork potentially breaking or… or whatever." Plopping down next to him, she took a healthy swig. "Ohhh, what a day."</p><p>"Thought you said the meeting went well?" Right away, he put his arm down across the back of the sofa behind her. Although he made no attempt to pull her in just yet, he was clearly showing he was there for her somehow. "Wanna tell a dusty old Qrow about it?"</p><p>Though it was only scarcely bemused, she did snort at his remark. "Not particularly. I… think this is something I'll have to handle alone."</p><p>She had been raising her bottle again, but after speaking the last word, she hesitated. Froze in place. Looking toward her rather than the TV, he seemed to question things in his own head for a moment. That was until eventually, after another swig, he tilted his head.</p><p>"This wouldn't have anything to do with your little 'friend' in the bathroom earlier, would it?"</p><p>Slowly, her head swung around to point at him. "My… what?" Gulping, she looked away again. "What did you see?"</p><p>More than anything, Qrow was amused. That much was shown by the small smirk on his face. "I saw a beady little silver eye spying on me when I went back to my room. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people with silver eyes. Do you?"</p><p>Immediately, she lowered her head to look into the mouth of her bottle, trembling with the effort of keeping her reactions calm. "I see. So… you know. What's been going on."</p><p>For a moment, he tried to distract himself by swirling the bottle a few times. It wasn't a situation he cared to talk about too much, but now that it was in the open, there was no choice. It would do no good reacting the same way Ruby did. Instead, he let out the breath he was holding. "If it helps, I've known way longer than she has."</p><p>"What? You… how could you have? We were both very careful! What did we mess up? How did you know?"</p><p>Putting the bottle down on the coffee table rather than distracting himself any further, he shifted his position more to face her. "You were careful, but you forget I'm a veteran. I can't exactly shut off noticing the small things. Like a couple of missed calls and texts coming through while your phone's been on the table." Lowering his head slightly, he added, "Or seeing her in the parking lot a couple of times just before I headed to Tai's."</p><p>Her mouth flattened into a thin line for a moment. Then she whispered, "I might be angry with you for lingering to see who I was with… if I weren't clearly the villain of this story."</p><p>"I never lingered. I <em>noticed</em>," he corrected. Although as he shifted back into a comfortable position again, he confessed, "Only time it counts as snooping was when I listened after I saw that beady eye. Didn’t hear much, but I get the picture; you like her."</p><p>"Oh, did you follow us down to the garage?" Winter demanded. "That would be the only way you could have heard that part. We didn't discuss much in the apartment today."</p><p>"Winter, I'm not attacking you here," he reassured her, leaving a moment for her to calm down before he spoke again. "I heard how she was talking, then how you responded; it made sense. If you didn't like her that way, you'd just kick her out when she got pissy. Over and done with."</p><p>Looking down again, she contemplated his words. Took another swig to give herself more time. Then she whispered, "If you knew… then why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you confront me, tell me to stop? I'm… you should have heard her screaming at me. She hates me now."</p><p>It was a fair point. Why didn't he? All this time, he knew his niece was getting involved with his standing fuckbuddy, but never said a word. In fact, he left <em>more</em> often, made it easier for Ruby to come over – for them to have sessions.</p><p>"It's not my place to tell you what, or who, you do," he started, picking his own drink back up. "I figured she must be giving you something you need, considering you've been in much better moods for a while. You're doing it when I'm out and I’ve never had to even see you guys hug, let alone anything worse, so I see no problem here. It’s… a little weird, yeah, but could be worse."</p><p>"It doesn't matter now. But… I appreciate your discretion." The tears were falling, even though she had been clamping down on her emotions, straining to keep herself from letting anything through. "Sh-she's gone now, and… and you don't have to worry… because she hates m-me, and… it doesn't m-matter anymo- anym-mo-"</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey." Almost as soon as he had picked the drink up again he found himself having to put it back down to wrap his arms around her, pulling her into his welcoming grasp. No moment was spared before he ended up stroking her hair, remembering that was one of the few ways to calm her down completely. But from the shaking of her voice, he could tell she would need more than a simple hug.</p><p>"What's wrong with me?" she growled into his shoulder finally, at least two minutes later. "Why am I s-so… <em>insane?!</em> I hate myself, I can't even h-handle the only th-thing… I work, and I take care of her, and y-you take care of me, and I was happy, and n-now it's all wrong!"</p><p>"Nothing is wrong with you, ya hear me?" He continued to pet her hair, scratching gently at her scalp to help speed up the soothing process. "She'll get over it. Ruby doesn't hold grudges. She's just… she'll just be a li’l squirmy because she found out her uncle is still getting frisky in the sheets, that's all."</p><p>"I'm disgusting!" she half-screamed into his shirt. It seemed that now that she had let loose her emotions, they would keep coming relentlessly. "Y-you're family, I should never have let this happen! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I don't know what I thought, I just liked the way everything was! You're both so important to m-me!"</p><p>"Stop that." He couldn't bear to hear her talk about herself that way when she was already dealing with so much. Holding her head delicately, he pressed his lips against her forehead, leaving a gentle kiss there. "And you're important to both of us, even if she's a little upset. You're not disgusting. You're human, and so is she. You both make mistakes."</p><p>Shaking her head, she whispered, "I shouldn't have told her. I was never going to tell her how I felt, I… had to be ready to let her go when she w-wanted to move on. But I failed, she… she dragged it out of me." Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she pulled back a little to whisper, "I thought I learned my lesson after… after Yang… but I'm still trying to control everything…"</p><p>"Hey come on, this is hardly comparable to… that. She may be Yang's sister, but I very much doubt that kind of thing would happen again." After a while, he started to relax his hold on her, just enough to give her the freedom of laying however she wanted against him. "I know Rubes. She'll be fine after a while. Right now, she's in shock, but then she'll be all over you like white on rice once she realises she was an dope for reacting how she did. Give it a few days."</p><p>"Is she, though?" The corner of her mouth twitched up hopefully. Fearfully. "I… know it can't be the best news you've ever found out, that I'm sleeping with both of you. But you really didn't hate me for it?"</p><p>"I'm not exactly <em>pleased</em>, put it that way. But I'm not going to scream at you for it. Like I said, it's not my choice who you do." Though his own mouth began to twitch into a smile. "So long as it's not while I'm here, of course."</p><p>"It never has been," she swore to him, face completely serious. "It wasn't today, either; she… she came here unannounced. I didn't…" Her face fell again, but she didn't fall to crying again. Not quite. "It might be my own wishful thinking, but I'm almost positive she came purely to confess her feelings."</p><p>"Ah… well, that makes things a little more awkward," he admitted, scratching the back of his head as he thought. Although he and Winter were on closer terms than most Dom-sub relationships, it wasn't more than that. He could tell it wasn't on Ruby's level. "Well… what did you tell her?"</p><p>Pursing her lips, she sighed and said, "You came home before I got the chance to answer her properly. But… I think I let it slip when we were arguing." She looked away. "Not that it matters. I don't know anything about… those kind of feelings, anyway."</p><p>Tilting his head, Qrow went to swirl his own bottle of beer once more to check if there was enough in there to make it worth drinking. "The way you try to clean up my sorry ass all the time says otherwise. And I'm… well, me." He shrugged his shoulders, giving her a light smile. "Just because you've never had this sorta thing <em>before</em> doesn't mean you can’t. Or shouldn’t <em>try.</em>"</p><p>Winter thought upon that while he drank, head down and expression strained. Turning to the side, she whispered, "I am… too broken to be that person for anyone. Even a second person for Ruby. You and I work because we don't expect those feelings from each other; friendship and blowing off steam, we can handle. I can handle." Her eyes began to stream, despite that she wasn't truly crying. "And it's selfish for me to want to be with someone who I can't give my heart to… since I don't have one."</p><p>Rather than reply with words, he instead looked straight at her. Then after a moment, he placed his free hand against her neck, caressing it gently. Checking something surreptitiously. "You got a pretty quick pulse right now for someone with no heart, then, you know that?"</p><p>"Don't make light of me!" she breathed, but there was no real power in her words. "I'm… rotted fruit, damaged goods! I know I'm not technically dead, but… but what's the point in trying to sell someone defective merchandise?!"</p><p>"You need to stop doing that to yourself, Snowbird." Seeing that wasn't working, he finished the last of his beer and set it down before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close so he could cuddle and kiss her forehead again. "You went through a lot of shit; I know that, she knows that. But you’re blaming the wrong person; <em>those guys</em><span> are the broken assholes</span>. You’re not ‘damaged goods’, you're a person; a person who made a mistake. A human."</p><p>Winter couldn't deny that his words made sense, even if they felt wrong in her heart. So she spent a few minutes simply crying up against his chest, drinking in the comfort he offered.</p><p>"She has Penny," was the simple statement she offered when she could. "I… don't know why she would want me, too. But… thank you for s-saying what you said."</p><p>"You really gotta stop putting yourself down," he repeated, still gently stroking her back and leaving the occasional kiss in her hair. "I mean it. You always talk about yourself in such a bad light… but there's a lot of good in you, Winter. Just wish you could see it."</p><p>"All that good is me trying to make up for all the bad." Taking a deep breath, she ran a hand through her hair. "And unless you really want to thrash me with the whip tonight, I… don't know if I'm up for anything. Sorry."</p><p>Another smile pulled at his lips as he pulled her in closer a moment, speaking sarcastically. "Oh no, we don't get to bang it out tonight because you're too upset. Oh woe is me, I'll have to get myself off before I go to sleep. What a cruel world."</p><p>Laughing against her own desire to do so, she said, "I'd help, but… for some reason, I don't think I should tonight. For her." Then she sighed, rubbing at his broad back through his shirt. "But you don't have to leave the room for it, if that'll help."</p><p>"Hey, you need a good cuddling before I need to strangle the snake. So that's what you're gonna get. Priorities." This time when he reached over, it was for the TV remote, which he held out to Winter. "So choose what we're watching, and we'll just lay here and let the rest of the planet worry about itself for a while, alright?"</p><p>Even as she was still settling in against him, she asked, "You really want to hang out with somebody this mopey?" When she got no answer, she went for a different question. "Are… you okay with Harry Potter?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yikesss sorry about this one for those of you who were expecting a lot of smut. Next time will be more fun I swear!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CHAPTER WARNINGS: Hard convos and fluff (and awkward almost-incesty feelings)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>=Chapter 10</b>
</p><p>A few months passed. Ruby had no further contact with Winter after she drove away from her, apart from one message she asked Penny to send, establishing that she no longer wanted to continue their arrangement. No more sessions, no more visits to the club, nothing. Even the casual texts had stopped, or the occasional silly snaps back and forth of each other's day; it was like they had never met. Strangers.</p><p>Then came an occasion she was dreading. There were other family gatherings she had managed to bow out of – anything to avoid awkward contact again out of fear of embarrassing herself; but this wasn't one she could squirm her way out of so easily. <em>Weiss's birthday.</em> She would never want to avoid her idol's celebration, especially not when she was specially invited! Dodging that one would also raise suspicion, and make it far more obvious that she was avoiding <em>something</em> to the other guests.</p><p>Plus, she didn't want to hurt her any more than she already had. Her guilt was too heavy. Time to bite the bullet and say hello.</p><p>All she could do was mentally prepare while she was out shopping with Yang, looking for an ideal present with her wife. She had promised that she would look after whatever she bought so Weiss didn't find it; at least that was a promise she could keep without anyone getting hurt.</p><p>"Hey, how about a cute little pony?"</p><p>When Ruby looked over, she saw Yang was holding up some kind of rainbow-painted porcelain horse tchotchke. She practically welcomed the distraction, no matter how mundane. Raising an eyebrow, she laughed, "Oh God, are you gonna turn her into one of those kooky nerds who has a billion of those?"</p><p>"Well… no…" Putting it back, Yang sighed and looked around. "But I'm totally drawing a blank this year. You know she's the one who's good at picking out gifts, and I just… suck ass."</p><p>Still trying to distract herself, Ruby smirked back toward her, walking a couple of steps backward to keep their pace in the store. "She told me enough times she liked what you got her last year. You know… the 'banana'?" If she wasn't going to be able to distract herself with small goods, she could by embarrassing her favourite sister. "She tells me everything when she gets drunk, unfortunately."</p><p>Ducking her blonde head, her big sister groaned and muttered, "God, Weiss… why can't you handle your booze?" She cleared her throat and spoke up to say, "But I don't wanna get her another 'toy' this time. I want it to be something sweet. Y'know, romantic and shit."</p><p>"Oooh…" That didn't give Ruby all too much to work with. While Yang and Weiss were definitely happy together, even she knew romance wasn't Yang's strong point. Aside from throwing herself in the path of an explosion that time a few years ago, the closest she had gotten was buying flowers on one occasion; only to get rid of them when they discovered Weiss was allergic. That was a story she wouldn't let her live down.</p><p>"Well, what kinds of things has she been into lately? Anything she mentions in passing or something?"</p><p>"Um… music? Frilly dresses and expensive perfume? Marrying the worst girlfriend in the world?" Sighing, she leaned back against a shelving unit full of lawn gnomes and hung her head. "I'll just get her another Victoria's Secret gift card."</p><p>"Doesn't that <em>kinda </em>count as a present for yourself? Just saying…" But Yang's phrasing didn't sit well in Ruby's own mind. Sure, she didn't know what sorts of presents were romantic and usually ended up with a cop-out gift, but at least she wasn't hurting anyone in the process of that. The worst girlfriend award for sure went to Ruby Rose. "And we both know she has the better of the Xiao Long-Rose sisters, so don't say you're the worst, dork."</p><p>"Does not! You're the real prize, and Penny is so lucky! Geeze, if you weren't with her, I'd be beating guys <em>and </em>girls off you with a stick!"</p><p>Even if it was meant positively, Ruby wasn't particularly in the mood to play along. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders reluctantly as she wandered out of the store, walking aimlessly in the direction of a jeweller’s. "Nah, I'm lucky to even have Penny. Don't even know how she puts up with me sometimes."</p><p>After a moment, Yang followed. She took so long to respond that by then, Ruby assumed she had forgotten the topic. Then…</p><p>"Okay, spill. What's been up with you the past couple months?"</p><p>"H-huh?" Even if it was a question she should have expected, she was taken aback, instantly finding herself on the defensive. "N-nothing! I was just saying that Penny's good for putting up with me, that's all!"</p><p>"Yeah, but you and Penny never fight. She hasn't seemed unhappy being with you or anything like that, at all." Folding her arms over her ample chest, she demanded, "So what's up, Rubes? Spill – unless you want me to tickle it out of you."</p><p>No getting out of that not-so-idle threat, no matter how much she tried. And even if Yang didn’t tickle her, she would be like a dog with a bone. Sighing, she looked downward sadly, still idly pacing around in the hope either of them would see something of interest for Weiss.</p><p>"It's not <em>Penny </em>and me that have had issues. We're fine. Our relationship's been pretty solid for a while…" When she stopped in front of the bracelets, she debated where to begin, whether or not to tell the story. In the end… "But… I’m, uh…"</p><p>Sensing this was big, Yang slid an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "You can tell me anything. If you could handle me coming out and transitioning, I can handle whatever's bugging you."</p><p>In the end, that tilted the scales. Yang deserved to know, since she had always been so open with her. At the same time, she didn't need to know who it was. The thought of that conversation coming to light certainly wasn't a good one given Yang's past with Winter.</p><p>"You know Penny and I don't… <em>y'know,</em> that often. So, um, Penny let me go out and see someone else, purely for sex. It worked out so great at first, me and this other girl had an amazing connection… but I had to go and ruin it."</p><p>For a moment, all Yang could do was blink in surprise. "Whoa, really? Never thought of you as a 'side chick' kinda girl." She hastily added, "But that's cool! I mean, if you have needs and Penny's okay with it, why the hell not?"</p><p>"Yeah, heh… I guess." Scratching the back of her head nervously, she couldn't look Yang in the eye anymore. The situation was too sensitive. "But it got deeper than that. Penny and I talked about it as well, and… and we realised that I was falling for this other girl the<em> same way </em>as Penny. Which she felt, too. But then… then I said some really stupid stuff and made a huge mess."</p><p>"Falling for both of them?" But of course, Yang had mostly been saying that to confirm it to herself. Blinking a few more times, she then asked, "What kinda stuff? Like, maybe it wasn't as bad as you thought."</p><p>"L-like…" There was the awkward part; she didn't know how to word what was happening without possibly outing either Winter or Qrow. Sighing in frustration, she looked back up. "Okay imagine if, I mean just imagine here – you're about to confess your feelings to Weiss for the first time, but then when you're just about to, you find out she's been sleeping with… with Dad or someone as close as that. Y-you'd be shocked, right? Shocked enough to really hurt her feelings on accident?"</p><p>For a long moment, Yang just tried to process the very idea being put across to her. Then she burst out, <em>"Dad's been banging your side-chick?!"</em></p><p><em>"No!!!"</em> Quickly slapping a hand to her forehead, she groaned out in frustration; one that had a couple of people turning to look at them. "I said 'someone as close as', not Dad himself! But that's not the point, anyway!" Looking around some more of the various watches and charm bracelets, Ruby sighed again. "I was yelling at her how if she cared she would have told me, because that was happening before I started hooking up with her, and during. And like, she knew this person was close to me! And I ended up… ended up learning I'd hurt her on other occasions without meaning to. <em>Bad</em><em>.</em>"</p><p>This time, Yang took even longer to respond. They both went back to looking over the things in the displays, picking them up and putting them down. Neither really paying much attention to what they were seeing.</p><p>"This, um…" Yang held up a tennis bracelet with a musical note dangling from it. "Is this dumb? I… think she <em>could</em> like it, but I, um…"</p><p>Again, Ruby welcomed the distraction. As much as she needed advice for what to do next, she much preferred to ignore the subject and keep burying her head in the sand. "That is super cute, actually. Maybe you can get another little snowflake charm for it too?"</p><p>"Ooh, that's a good idea… let me know if you find anything like that. Or maybe a star, because…" Her voice got quieter as she added, "She's my star."</p><p>Despite Yang having meant it genuinely, Ruby only saw her usual attitude of pun making and groaned again. "That was <em>sooooo</em> bad, international super<em>star</em>. But stars and snowflakes, got it."</p><p>"Y-yeah," Yang replied with a feigned laugh. Clearly she had thought that was really romantic and it fell flat.</p><p>They both dug through the display for a little while longer, and Yang did eventually find a snowflake. Ruby was still hunting for a star when she walked back over. Clearly her mind was preoccupied.</p><p>"Um… hey Ruby?"</p><p>"Hmm?" Noticing that Yang had found what she wanted, she turned back to the display a moment to look longer. "Still can't find a star… Do you mind if it's a typical one? Or do you want a more… what? Something wrong?"</p><p>"The typical one is fine, we dug through most of 'em." Then she cleared her throat and tried to sound unconcerned as she asked, "So, were you, uh, maybe, kinda… sleeping with Blake?"</p><p>That'd made Ruby drop the small charm she had picked up, which bounced and rolled under one of the displays before she could catch it. At least it was one of the cheapest ones. <em>"</em><em>Oh, shoot</em><em>! </em><em>Noooo!</em><em>"</em></p><p>“Those things are dime a dozen. C’mon, I asked you a serious question.”</p><p>She looked back around to her sister reluctantly. "No, not Blake. I mean, she said she thinks I'm cute before, but <em>also</em> said she would never want to because of your past. Kinda... crossing the streams, or whatever."</p><p>"Okay," she sighed in relief. "Whew! Just… you know, I noticed you guys were kinda hanging out sometimes, and… like, I never for sure thought you were, but that’s the only obvious guess I have."</p><p>Breathing with relief, Ruby laughed nervously with her. "T-that's fine! Nah, she and Sun seem to be exclusive to each other, from what I know, at least."</p><p>Under her breath, Yang muttered, "She's said that one before…" Then she cleared her throat and said, "Okay, Ruby. Whatever went on between you and whoever… it sounds like you were going past just bumping uglies and into really caring about each other. Weren't you?"</p><p>"H-hey, it wasn't like-!" But as much as she wanted to deny it, Yang was right; that was the simplest way to put it. Looking downward, she mumbled, "Yeah… we were."</p><p>"But… she's also doing stuff with someone really close to you, and it kinda gives you the 'this room is too crowded' vibe?" When Ruby didn't answer, she sighed and ran a hand through her bangs. "Whoo. That's rough."</p><p>"She’s also roommates with this person," Ruby added. It seemed like a major detail to leave in given the situation. Pacing to the other displays, she explained in more detail. "I'm not really mad about that anymore, I guess… I'm more mad that I hurt her. Not just by yelling at her about that, but that I left before talking it though. And that I hurt her before all this ugliness and didn't even <em>know </em>I did."</p><p>"God… and you were just gonna walk around with all this weighing you down?" Reaching over, she tousled Ruby's hair until it was a messy brown-and-red mop. It was one of the few things she had done when she was Ying that still lingered, even with how much she had changed before Ruby's eyes as they both grew up.</p><p>"Sis, I can only work with the facts I got. From where I'm standing… it sounds like this, um, <em>person</em> is worth it to you to go out on a limb for. I’ve been watching you moping around the past few months, and it's like… like something's missing inside you. And maybe your hookup isn't what you need, or maybe she- <em>they are</em>, and… I think you owe it to both of you to try. Just… I don't know, talk to ‘em again. Be chill and see where it goes."</p><p>"How?" she asked desperately with a little shrug. "How can I be 'chill' about it when I more or less said 'fuck you and what you've been through' to her face? Like… okay, it wasn't those <em>exact</em> words, sure; but the message was the same."</p><p>Though Yang did wince at the implication of saying something like that to someone, she gripped Ruby's shoulder. Unfortunately, due to her ignorance of the topic, her phrasing was less than ideal. "Hey, so you messed up in a… not small way. Sometimes to get what you want, you gotta eat a little crow."</p><p>Which was rather noticeable, given that she immediately shut her eyes tightly at the remark. "GOD I'd rather not hear 'Crow' and 'Eat' in the same sentence, you have <em>no </em>idea…"</p><p>But whether Ruby liked it or not, her sister was completely right. The problem wasn't going to be solved by hiding from each other; they needed to talk. To apologise, say their piece, and learn. Even if they ended up still avoiding each other after, the least they could do was try.</p><p>Apparently, Yang had been trying to talk to her all along, because she finally said, "Yooo, you in there, little Ruby? Big sis calling!" Then a fist was knocking on the top of her head, albeit lightly.</p><p>"GAH!" Flinching as soon as her head was touched, she nearly managed to knock the bracelet from Yang's hand! But right away she composed herself again, scratching her head. "S-sorry… I spaced. What were you saying?"</p><p>"I was saying that we should probably check out," Yang laughed easily, beaming her usual confident smile down at Ruby. "This bracelet's kinda lame, but it's literally the only idea I've had all day that doesn't make me wanna hurl myself into a volcano."</p><p>Ruby could only smile back, handing over the small star charm she had unearthed. "I actually think it's really cute, she'll love it."</p><p>But just after they'd finished checking out and re-entered the mall complex, Ruby was attempting to get some information of her own. She had been wanting to for a while, but didn't know how without raising suspicion. As naturally she could, she asked, "So… who's coming to the party? Me, Penny… who else?"</p><p>"Oh, well you know. Family people. Plus FNKI is supposed to be there, and Blake and Sun." Pointing, she asked, "Smoothies? My treat, for helping me out with this."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess smoothies wouldn’t break the bank," Ruby laughed, following her big sis. "Family people… so Dad, Jacques… Winter…?"</p><p>With a slow drawl, Yang answered, "Riiiight. That's who family is. Oh, I don't know if Uncle Qrow RSVP'd yet or not; he was invited. But Dad's gonna be there for sure." Then she looked suspiciously at Ruby. "Unless there's a problem with Dad being there…?"</p><p>"Why would I have a problem with Da-" But given the rather serious look, Ruby rolled her eyes. "Look, Dad was an <em>example</em>. This friend isn't actually sleeping with Dad. If she was, he would be living in the house with them, cause they are roommates with the person, remember? And no, it’s not Penny, and it’s <em>really</em><span> not me</span>."</p><p>"Well yeah, I guess. Just double-checking, okay?" When Ruby still seemed irritated, she sighed and said, "Okay, I won't ask who's who again. I get it, this is sensitive. But… I do hope you get whatever's going on squared away. And promise me you won't sit on it until too much time went by, and now you feel like you <em>can't </em>speak up. Please?"</p><p>Eyebrows furrowing, Ruby looked up to her sister anxiously. She was genuinely worried about her… and had good reason to be, given what she had to deal with a few years ago; of course now that a somewhat similar situation presented itself, even if only affecting her sister, she would be on edge. But not wanting to let on how truly she was bothered by this, Ruby instead looked at the smoothie menu.</p><p>"Get me a banana and blueberry smoothie and it's a deal."</p><p>But all Yang groaned in response was, "Do you have to pick 'banana'? I'm already embarrassed enough about that as it is!"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"…but she’s been saying she wants to eat more organic, so I figured, buying some vegetable plant seeds could be an idea; something to do with little Fèn once she gets older, also. Not such a boring present, is it?"</p><p>Winter’s father had offered to drive her to her sister’s birthday party to both spare her sobriety and cab fare. He insisted strongly, despite her reluctance to be in his company. In recent days, that seemed to be worryingly common; for her to be alone or seem a little more uptight and serious than usual. Even if he had never mentioned it, her father certainly noticed.</p><p>And when noticing she still wasn't particularly listening on this occasion, he cleared his throat. "S-so… Amber couldn't come. She had something with her own family she couldn't miss, so you and Weiss will have to meet her properly another time."</p><p>"Hmm? Oh, yes… that's wonderful, Father." It was a stock answer. Winter would normally have offered up something a lot more in-depth and pointed, but it seemed she still wasn't up to the task.</p><p>In fact, she had spent most of the past months avoiding any time alone with her father. Not that he would know why. Not that they <em>never</em> talked, but their discussions had been fewer and further between ever since he told her about Amber. Poor Jacques. The only cause he could think of was the possibility that Winter didn't like his flowering relationship. And no wonder; no one would like to hear their parent had moved on, much less such details.</p><p>While they were at a red light, he looked around to her, asking, "You… aren't mad at me for dating again, are you?"</p><p>"What?" she asked, roused from her reverie. "No, not at all… oh, Father, I'm sorry. My mind is just elsewhere." Frowning over at him, she told him as earnestly as she could, "I didn't mean to make you think I disapprove of Amber."</p><p>There was a wave of relief, and right away he swept the sweat from his brow. <em>"Phew!</em> You had me worried there! Last thing I wanted to do was make you or Weiss feel uncomfortable." As the light turned green, his attention returned to the road, but he didn't drop the subject. "Then what is wrong, dear? You've seemed off for a long time now."</p><p>"Have I?" she asked, trying to sound as convincing as she could. She shifted in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to worry you."</p><p>"Well, you have been a little," he admitted. "So, if it's not Amber… what is it? Is there something I should be concerned about? Have I done anything to upset you?"</p><p>"No, nothing," she answered immediately. There was no way she could ever tell him why she was so uncomfortable in his presence now - especially since it was getting easier to manage a little at a time. So she had to distract him, and she could only find one topic that would adequately excuse her standoffishness without making her poor father feel worse. "Just… I was beginning to think I might have found an 'Amber' of my own. But the relationship fell through before I could figure that part out."</p><p>"Oooohh… so, it's relationship trouble." While it was a better assumption than the whole truth, it was still awkward for old Jacques Schnee. He wasn't used to talking to his daughters in such circumstances until a couple of years ago, so the advice was always rusty. Still, he tried. "There's always more fish in the sea, even if you have to swim a little further out, I suppose. I know you get out more than I do, I'm sure you'll find a nice… <em>girl</em>, to settle down with someday."</p><p>Laughing weakly, Winter crossed her legs in the opposite direction, hoping against hope that it would abate her discomfort. No such luck. "Doubtful. I just don't feel that kind of connection with people. Not until…" Did she dare confirm? "Until <em>she </em>came along."</p><p>"I see… the one that got away, hmm?" Given the silence, that was also confirmed. While it wasn't as easy for him as it would be talking to a son about this sort of thing, he tried his best to treat her in the same way he would a son, and cleared his throat. "Girls are very mysterious. One minute you think you have them figured out, the next, you're back to square one. Or in your case, square zero. Of course, you know that, being a woman yourself." Scratching his head nervously, he tried to continue, "But what I'm saying is, don't bet all your money on one horse. If it's not meant to be, it won't happen. If it is, things will… well, they'll find a way to work."</p><p>"But I wasn't putting money on <em>any </em>horse," she sighed. "My feelings came as a complete surprise to me; I wasn't even looking! And then…" There had to be a way to discuss this without going into specifics. "We had an argument. About our relationship, and how we hadn't been entirely honest about our situations. It should have been something we could work through, but…"</p><p>"Ah, of course. Nobody likes complications." They weren't too far from the house, but rather than pull right up to the drive, he pulled the car over onto the shoulder a moment. "Listen, I'm not very good at this, you can tell; but it sounds like you both left everything up in the air rather than talking through the issue properly."</p><p>Winter could feel her anxiety rising. They were so close! She hadn't been mentally prepared to be alone with him for any longer than the drive there. But she also didn't want to squander this chance to have a non-superficial conversation with her father; they were so rare, and if she avoided this one she might not get another for a while. Or might even lead him to believe she hated him. That wouldn’t do.</p><p>"I wanted to try again. But she let me know we were done. That… she didn't want to see me anymore. She was so upset, I… how can I approach her if she hates me?"</p><p>Leaning back in his seat, Jacques sighed deeply, drumming his fingers against the top of the steering wheel as some form of distraction. "How indeed. Then again, your mother and I used to have our fair share of arguments before we got serious; sometimes, <em>shit </em>happens." It was unusual for her father to swear, even more so when he was calm. Still, it meant they were possibly getting somewhere. "Perhaps arrange to meet under more neutral circumstances?"</p><p>"Perhaps so." Her eyes flicked toward her sister’s house and the promise of safety, and she sighed. "We'll see. It feels so hopeless, but… I should at least apologise for my part of our misunderstanding. Then it would be up to her, right?"</p><p>"Exactly." He smiled toward her. "The ball will be in her court, as it were. If she wants to play, she will. If not… well, you can say you did everything you possibly could. It's disappointing if it does come to that, but in the end, it's far more satisfying to say you tried than to give up without trying."</p><p>Nodding glumly, she tried to let herself believe him. It was so hard! But she knew it was the truth; yes, Ruby was well within her right to end their arrangement, even without what went on with Qrow. Even so, that didn't mean she and her sister-in-law couldn't patch up their friendship, and discuss what went wrong like mature adults.</p><p>"You're right, of course. It's… I'll think about it. Thank you."</p><p>Nodding happily, he put his hands back on the wheel again to drive the last few seconds of the journey. Already, there were a few cars and bikes on the drive from the various guests. One of which included the small red car that Winter recognised so much: Ruby's.</p><p>Oblivious to that, Jacques was already taking off his seatbelt and opening the door. "In the meantime, just enjoy the party today. I'm sure Weiss will let you hold Fèn for longer than a couple of minutes this time!"</p><p>"Don't count on it," she laughed as they exited the car and began walking up towards the lakehouse. Despite their difficulties and Winter's private discomfort, she really did appreciate the talk more than she could say.</p><p>Once they got inside, they could see most of the guests had arrived. Yang and a few members of FNKI were loitering in the spacious entryway. One or two other children from Fenléng's daycare were toddling back and forth in the living room, their mothers likely nearby. Winter thought it was nice that she had a few little friends to play with.</p><p>"I'll be back in a bit, guys," Yang reassured both Flynt and Inu upon noticing the new guests. Suspecting they hadn't seen Weiss yet, she thought it best to greet the newcomers herself, managing to scoot past them to welcome her inlaws with open arms. <em>"There</em> you two are! Figured you got lost, again."</p><p>Jacques chuckled to himself, accepting a quick hug from her with a pat on the back. "That was just one time. Where is my other pride and joy, anyway?"</p><p>"Out in the garden with Ruby! I think they wanted to catch up a little bit before we gave Weiss her presents and stuff. You can head through, if you want?"</p><p>Raising a small bag and the box from Jacques, Winter said, "Where shall I put these?"</p><p>"Oh, I'll take 'em while we go through, it's on the way. Weiss's been waiting for you guys to turn up!"</p><p>With a brief wave goodbye to the two guests, Yang journeyed through the living room with both of Weiss’s relations following behind. She detoured to the kitchen with the two gifts, adding them to the pile, then leading Winter and Jacques to the rear conservatory doors. And there in plain sight were Ruby and Weiss, sat together on the bench.</p><p>The circumstances couldn't be any worse. Both Jacques and Weiss were completely unaware of the tension between Winter and Ruby. It gave no time for either of them to prepare mentally, especially not when Jacques was already walking outside toward them both, calling out to get their attention. "There she is! Twenty-two years young."</p><p>Turning, Weiss smirked at him as she said, "You got it right this year, Father. I'm impressed." Then her smile widened and she said, "Hey, sister of mine!"</p><p>"Happy birthday," Winter said, smiling gently. For the moment, she could forget about the girl sitting next to her sister. Ruby was definitely very important to her, but this wasn't her day, and it wasn't Winter's. "How does it feel to be another year wiser?"</p><p>"About the same," she laughed back with a little shrug. "Yang and I were just talking about that this morning; every year is just an encore, isn't it?"</p><p>"Once you're past twenty-one, it is pretty much the same,” Jacques chuckled. “Still, gives us an excuse to have a drink or two."</p><p>While he was making small talk with his daughter, Ruby continued to sit still with a drink in hand, staring toward the ground nervously. She knew Winter was there, but was far too scared to even make eye contact with her. Clearly, she had been just as cut up as Winter was in the first place. At least that was one small good sign; the pseudo-breakup wasn’t already an irrelevant event for the girl.</p><p>"So, how many others are on their way?" Winter asked, hands in the small of her back.</p><p>"Well, there's Blake and Sun," Weiss began to list off as she embraced sister. "Taiyang is on his way with Qrow. That might be everyone, right, honey?"</p><p>"Blake just messaged and said she's on the way," spoke up Yang from behind them, who had just finished putting the gifts away and was now coming to a stop by her wife’s side. "Aaaand Dad's on the way but a little held up because he went to get Penny from the airport. That’ll be a while, so… should we do presents?"</p><p>"You guys go ahead," Ruby said from her seat. At least now she raised her head a little, and looked outward to the large lake rather than at the floor like she was before. "I'm just gonna… chill here for a minute. Crazy week."</p><p>"Sorry to hear that," Winter said almost automatically. Then she cleared her throat and hastily turned to Weiss. "Are you ready for presents, or would you rather wait for Blake and Sun?"</p><p>"We can wait. In fact, now that I've stopped breastfeeding, I'm ready to have a drink. Can I get you something?"</p><p>Smiling demurely, she responded, "Oh, come on; this is <em>your </em>day. I can make drinks for both of us. What will everyone have?"</p><p>"Maybe Weiss already has the <em>drinks</em><span> I…</span>" Though before she could finish that quip, Yang realised just who was in their company. They might well be on good terms, but an adult breastfeeding joke might be a bit too much for the subject’s father and sister to take. Winding back, she cleared her throat again. "Yeah, but I'll get them though, seriously. I know Weiss wants a strawberry daiquiri, and I’m still on the dry list. You two…?"</p><p>"I'm driving, so just sparkling water for me. What about you, Winter?" Jacques asked, although he was about ready to head inside.</p><p>Her eyes flicked to Yang, but then she said, "Martini, dry, single olive. That is, if it's no trouble."</p><p>"Nope, not at all!."</p><p>Weiss and Jacques headed inside first, with him asking about how she was and how Fènleng had been. It was always the subject whenever he came over now. But before Winter could step inside, Yang's hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her slightly around.</p><p>"Hey… you got a minute?"</p><p>That was quite startling for the elder of the Schnee sisters. Glancing both between the door inside and Ruby on the bench, she asked, "Of course, what's up?"</p><p>Glancing back at her little sister for a quick moment herself, she leant in closer toward Winter, talking in a hushed tone. "Okay, this is gonna be a weird request, but could you talk to her? This past few months she's had a bad case of the blues about, um, this situation she’s in. I know it's weird asking since she barely knows you, but… I'm kinda at a roadblock."</p><p>"Me?" Gulping, she glanced back at Ruby, then again at Yang. The woman she had treated so badly once upon a time. "I… don't have the greatest track record with helping people. Mentally. I'm honestly very surprised you'd ask me."</p><p>"Well, I'm stuck… Weiss is stuck, Penny's stuck… we're out of options. Not that you're a <em>bad </em>option, that's not what I'm saying at all! I mean, I know it's not gonna be the same as when you talked me into leaving and-" Sensing she was rambling, however, she looked down when the quizzical gaze of Winter met her own. "Bad start… bad start. But, yeah… if it's okay with you, could you? She may open up more if it's with somebody who doesn’t know her as well as us."</p><p>"Yang… you have me all wrong. I'm honoured you trust me to help her, and I'll definitely do my very best. Just… surprised." Swallowing hard, she whispered, "I've been hoping to… make things up to <em>you;</em> I know I can't, but anything I can do to try…"</p><p>"Oh <em>pssshhh,</em> I wasn't even thinking about that!" Yang quickly assured her, even laughing a little just to prove it. But in a short moment she squeezed her shoulder, just enough to convey she was serious. "I'm asking as a sister-in-law. Not as a 'you owe me'. Please?"</p><p>That prompted Winter to sigh in mild relief as she patted the hand on her shoulder. "That means the world to me. And yes, of course; I just apologise in advance if the talk doesn't do as much good as we both hope."</p><p>"Least we can say we tried. I'll have your drink ready in a second."</p><p>Finally releasing the shoulder, she headed back in the house behind Weiss and Jacques, leaving the two girls outside alone. Ruby, who was still trying to look to one side with her beverage to do anything to avoid looking her way; and Winter, who was awkward enough thinking about what needed to be done. It was pretty obvious Ruby wouldn't be the one starting.</p><p>There was so much she wanted to say, but in the end all she did was pace up behind the bench, come to a stop, and ask, "So… how have you been?"</p><p>Nervously shrugging her shoulders, Ruby kept watching the lake while she took a sip of her drink. Damn Yang… she didn't know anything about the situation, yet had somehow managed to convince Winter to do the very thing they needed to - despite her wanting to run a mile from it!</p><p>"G-good," she murmured after the sip, resting the hand back on her knee again. "J-just, um, doing so-so. And you?"</p><p>"I've been better… but I've been worse. So… I guess the same as you." She looked down towards her hands, white-knuckling on the back of the bench, and tried to relax. It wasn't working. "How are… you and Penny?"</p><p>Yet again, she shrugged her shoulders. However this time she at least made some form of effort to acknowledge her needs, by scooting to one side of the bench. "Not too bad, I guess. She has a new job, but she's been kinda stressed because I've been super tired a lot of the time."</p><p>Realising it would look strange if she kept standing there when there was an empty seat, she rounded it, sitting down as far away as she could from Ruby. Hopefully, she wouldn't feel crowded. "Why so tired? If it's not too much to ask about. Feel free to tell me it's none of my business, I…" But she didn't finish her thought.</p><p>"O-oh, it's nothing. J-just… uh…" Seemed it was more than nothing, especially when it came to the person she was admitting this to. But trying her best, she eventually shrugged her shoulders after another drink. "Just… felt a little off, that's all. I-it's like that sometimes."</p><p>"You should talk to your sister about that. She would know more about that, since she's… already on medication. No thanks to me," she added in a bitter undertone.</p><p>Closing her eyes, Ruby sighed deeply as she placed her glass on the ground and out the way. "That wasn't your fault entirely, you know. There were a lot of issues at the time with her, hiding under the surface. And besides, I'm pretty sure it’s not genetic; my parents weren’t diagnosed with stuff like that. So if it’s anybody, it’s Yang’s mom, I guess."</p><p>"Still, you… should work on what's troubling you." This was getting harder to dance around, and when she thought about doing so, she found she was unable to. "Because despite… how things played out, I still want what's best for you, Ruby. There's just no sense in you suffering if you can talk to someone, sort things out. Medication or no medication."</p><p>"I'm not depressed," she corrected. Although from the way she kept staring toward the ground, she wasn't exactly doing anything to prove that comment wrong. In the end, she placed her hands on the bottom of her small skirt, grasping the hem anxiously. But in the end, she thought to herself; what good would it do to keep distracting and leaving things unsaid? "I've just… been upset. Not Depression, not anything else; I'm just sad, okay? It… it was my own stupid fault in the first place."</p><p>"What was?" When Ruby didn't answer immediately, she followed up with, "I don't want to assume anything. That isn't my right. But maybe whatever has upset you wasn't your fault alone, and… and then you wouldn't have to punish yourself so harshly. Right?"</p><p>For a long while, there was silence between them. Ruby continued to look downward, still unable to yet look up at someone she once couldn't get enough of. It was almost tragic how far they had drifted thanks to a single argument. But the silence was lifted by a small, but rather desperate whisper.</p><p>"I miss you."</p><p>Winter's head raised, eyes wide. Her mouth worked as if she would respond right away, but she forced herself to stop, to consider her words more carefully. Then she stated, "And I have missed you. <em>So </em>much."</p><p>Tucking a stray strand of hair out of her own face, she eventually settled to holding her hands together on her lap, idly crossing her legs to appear casual. Just on the off-chance anyone inside was looking. But already, she could feel everything she had bottled up coming loose, feel her heart thudding with fear, eyes welling up.</p><p>"I just got so mad," she began to confess. “S-so mad and so jealous… and I had n-no right to be. That wasn't fair. Not when I-I'd done things just as bad to you."</p><p>"You didn't realize what you had done was so…" Winter paused, having to breathe deeply. This wasn't something she made a habit of discussing, so even now, months later, it was difficult. "We <em>both</em> crossed a line that we didn't think as important to the other person as it turned out to be. Is… that fair to say?"</p><p>It was accurate. All Ruby had wanted to do was show Winter that she was brave enough to do more daring things, while Winter simply wanted to keep the two most important people in her life happy without awkward encounters. It was certainly a fair assessment. Nodding in agreement, she stared out toward the lake again in a somewhat more contented silence.</p><p>"…How's Qrow?"</p><p>"Oh, he's been alright. They promoted him to assistant manager of the bar; said he was doing a great job with the work but was a little rude to the customers, so he was better placed being rude to the bartenders."</p><p>"So he gets to sit at a desk behind the bar <em>and</em> drink? Sounds like an ideal job for him."</p><p>Winter smiled down at the hands in her lap. "You… probably don't want to know any more details than that, do you?"</p><p>Though that last comment didn't make Ruby laugh. Unfortunately, she was still rather awkward about that situation. "N-no… not really. I wanna hear if he's okay but not like, <em>those</em><span> details</span>."</p><p>"Of course, of course," she replied hastily. "I have no problem with that. As long as you agree not to tease me about… about the other thing. We can bring it up from time to time, but don't <em>tease</em>. It just…" She looked away, biting her lip to keep from showing a reaction too severe.</p><p>"I know… I stepped over the line." Nervously she shuffled in her seat again, looking downward toward the floor. A look of pure shame. "The truth is… I just thought that maybe… if I used my intuition and showed that I could be daring enough to try something big like that, you'd be pleased with my progress. But now I know, t-that was completely wrong. That you <em>can't ‘</em>guess’ with this stuff."</p><p>The corner of her mouth ticked up as she conceded, "Well, to be fair, you were right with everything <em>except</em> the third person who happened to be in the room. But your performance was… I still have to fan myself thinking about how good you were."</p><p>"It… was pretty hot." Unsure if that was crossing the line or not, she shrugged her shoulders nervously. "That doesn't count as teasing, right? To admit that it was really… really thrilling?"</p><p>"No, not at all. I… could tell you how I really felt about it, if you promise not to pass judgment. A-and if you promise not to think it means I dislike you; just because I was angry and upset didn't mean I wanted you out of my life! I regret so much that I made it seem that way…"</p><p>"I wouldn't blame you if you did… I crossed the line," she admitted again. She knew she deserved more than that. She expected fury, rage even, but Winter had something else to say. "…g-go on?"</p><p>"What I said during play… that it really turned me on… I wasn't lying. It did. But admitting that means admitting that…" Winter's cheeks were pink already due to how long they had been talking about their last session, but she bravely forged ahead.</p><p>"On the car ride up here, I spent the entire time trying to ignore how wet I was getting. Because I was in the same car as my father. You were so good, and gave me such a powerful climax, that now… now I associate that with speaking to him, being in the same place as him. Which I'm so ashamed of; it's… not as if he had anything to do with it directly, or as if I want to sleep with him! GOD, no! But the two things are connected in my brain pretty strongly now." Now that the older woman had said her peace, she closed her eyes and waited for the reaction. However bad it might turn out to be.</p><p>"Ohhh…" Surprisingly, it was far easier for Ruby to take in than expected. While it was good to learn that she had given Winter an extremely powerful orgasm, and Winter was proud of her as a sub… learning that Winter now associated her own father with their escapades wasn't so good. In fact, when she thought about it…</p><p>It was the same association she now had with Qrow once learning who he was. Finding out that Qrow was another of Winter’s partners made such thoughts hard to totally block out. A sexual context for her own uncle. They were both dealing with those awful tricks of their minds. Only difference was, Ruby knew she would never accidentally be picturing her uncle<em> during the act</em><span> the same way</span> Winter might with her father.</p><p>"Shit… I really screwed up…"</p><p>"Not so badly. I mean, it's almost fun, when I'm not disgusted with myself." A few seconds later, she added in a weak murmur, "That was supposed to be humourous, but after saying it, I realized it didn't come out that way…"</p><p>Still blinking, she finally looked more in Winter's direction than the floor at last. Not eye contact yet, but it was better than what it was. "Geeze, I just wanted to do something… adventurous. To be bold or whatever. I didn't want to ruin an entire <em>person </em>for you, let alone your own father!"</p><p>With another gentle, nervous smile, she turned back to face forward. "You don't have that much power, Ruby. He's not <em>ruined</em>, exactly… just… this is something I'll have to work through. But it does help to have a specific cause; you fucking me under the desk, instead of just 'Surprise, you're turned on in your father's presence'. Keeps me from thinking I'm even more of a deviant than I already am."</p><p>There was a small chuckle coming from her. "That would be the worst version of the Daddy kink."</p><p>"Ugh," Winter groaned, ducking her head. "Do you know how long I mentally dissected me moaning 'Daddy' when I’m being fucked?! I haven't called him that in over a decade, and I still had to worry about it!"</p><p>"Oh my god, I was kidding - I didn't know you had one!" The laugh was beginning to increase in volume. In fact, it would be the loudest anyone would have heard her laugh in weeks, even if it was a slight form of teasing. Their talk was working.</p><p>So Winter kept it going. Yes, she was uncomfortable with the subject matter, but it was also a relief to be able to get it out and discuss it instead of bottling everything up. "Well, I do, but it never had anything to do with my <em>actual daddy</em> until that night. Not as far as I knew, anyway." Shifting in her seat, she muttered, "You know what they say about all little girls wanting to marry their fathers…"</p><p>"Not me; <em>never </em>ever been interested in men. Even me being kinda weird about sex aside…" Finally, she felt her muscles relaxing as she grew more at ease; even began to smile. Maybe things were going to work out for them still being friends, after all. In the end, that's what they wanted, to be in one another's lives, regardless of feelings.</p><p>But Ruby didn't want to leave it there. Talking about where things went wrong with their arrangement was one thing, but with their feelings was another. They had come too far, said too much to leave it there without talking it through fully. If only she could take that first step.</p><p>Though Winter beat her to it. "If you're sure you want to keep these secrets, and aren't already disgusted by me…" Her eyes flicked up to Ruby's face, then away again, waiting. Bursting to speak, but afraid that she had already gone too far.</p><p>"I could never be disgusted with you." At long last, she looked up, and right at Winter's face. It was like she was seeing her for the first time all over again. She could already feel the bottled up feelings reemerging, the compulsive need to grab Winter and kiss her as hard as she could. But they had to talk it out first. "Even after all my thinking, all this time with these dumb thoughts… I can't be disgusted with you. I can't even <em>dislike </em>you. And I don't want to. Because all this time has passed and I… I-I… still…"</p><p>Almost as if to head her off, Winter went on, "G-good. Because it's been getting worse, even if I've been getting better at processing it; understanding it's a kink, and it doesn't make me bad for having a kink if I don't indulge it. That's not as bad, right?" Her eyes held Ruby's for just a moment, hopeful, drinking in the desire she saw reflected there, before she turned away.</p><p>"As you heard, my father has begun dating this Amber woman. I've seen her, and she really is attractive." More fidgeting from the elder Schnee sister. "S-so… I may have had a stray fantasy about walking in on them…"</p><p>"Well… I-I guess… um…" Truly speechless after that confession of hers, Ruby looked to one side wide eyed, scratching the back of her head nervously. Managing to force a chuckle of her own, she admitted, "I guess these things don't hurt. Fantasies and all that, different strokes for different folks."</p><p>"You know, I could tell he was flustered by that sketch of yours - which I framed, by the way, I hope I can show you how it looks framed. That… is part of what made it harder to forget this whole thing. He didn't know it, but he was finding me attractive." Then she cleared her throat, waving that away as best she could. "Which only makes sense; he's always told me I'm a lot like Mother was. Weiss is the one who looks so distinctly different, even though there's a family resemblance, of course."</p><p>"Weirdly? She looks like your dad, if he was a girl… if that makes sense?" She could only hope that would be enough to make her chuckle along with her. The strange thing was, at the start of this arrangement, she was so obsessed with Winter's likeness to Weiss. Now, she could completely separate them. When with Winter, it was like Weiss was never even a factor.</p><p>"She does!" Winter admitted with a giggle of her own, raising a hand to her mouth to hide it. Then she sighed and said, "Anyway, enough about my budding Electra complex before I develop a thing for Weiss, too." Turning more fully, she looked straight at Ruby with a sober gaze. "I'm so happy that we can talk again. It might not be easy, but I can't tell you how much I've missed this!"</p><p>Laughing right back with her, Ruby picked her drink back up from the ground. The smile on her face evolved into a grin. "Me too! This was one of the things I missed. I mean, Weiss and Blake are great to talk to, but you sorta get fed up with them bringing up their other halves like, <em>all</em><span> the time.</span>"</p><p>Nodding, Winter crossed her legs in a lot less discomfited gesture - though she still shivered slightly at the action. "Indeed, they do go on about each other. But it's a positive thing, that they're in such stable relationships." Glancing over at Ruby, she asked in a careful tone, "You and Blake didn't ever…?"</p><p>Drinking the final swig of her drink, Ruby shook her head lightly, drawing the glass away. "Nah. We agreed that'd be too weird with how she was with Yang and all. Plus, as much as she knows she's bisexual…" Shuffling up closer to Winter a moment, she quickly checked the area to make sure no one was in sight. Thankfully, they were all too distracted by the presents to even notice those two outside. Finally, she leaned into her ear, whispering, "She is<em> definitely</em><span> all about</span> dicks."</p><p>Giggling, Winter whispered back, "I know. I offered to Dom her a few times, or to let her Dom me, and she said she 'wouldn't mind' but didn't seem all that excited about getting around to it. I saw that as the gentle kiss-off that it was, and never pushed for an answer."</p><p>"Yeah… She won't admit it, but she is a cockslut," Ruby whispered back. And yet even when she was done whispering, she didn't move away. Not yet. She had become content with sitting right at Winter's side, even leaning in slightly toward her. So close… even after months, it was becoming like those few romantic sessions all over again. Except there were no characters, no practice. This was Winter Schnee and Ruby Rose.</p><p>"Do you still…" But as soon as the words began to form, she held a hand up, shaking her head. "Nah, forget it, I'm being dumb."</p><p>"I still miss more than just our sessions," Winter told her firmly, offering it when Ruby hadn't finished her question. "I miss YOU, all of you."</p><p>Ruby found no more words to say. Usually a chatterbox who let her mouth run, and she was completely speechless. All she could do was keep their close proximity, feel her cheeks beginning to heat up once more as Winter stared back at her. She always managed to make her blush… and this was no exception. After a brief check to make sure no one was around, she found her eyes wandering elsewhere. To Winter's eyes, her lips…</p><p>"Kiss me."</p><p>"Are you sure?" she breathed gently, allowing her index finger to brush down along Ruby's arm. "Someone might see. Or do you <em>want </em>them to see?" Quirking her lips, she whispered as she drifted closer, "Not that I would fault you if that was secretly what you wanted."</p><p>"I-I want…" She wanted everything to go the way it was meant to go when she first confessed her feelings for Winter. She wanted for them to be more, so much more. "I want you… I want to <em>feel </em>how you feel about me. Even after this long. I-if you still do."</p><p>At the more insistent wording, the lessening of ambiguity, Winter's eyes began to shimmer. Her throat tightened, and she leaned in yet closer. With only another second of hesitation, her lips took the younger woman's, hungrily and with great relish.</p><p>And she poured every last ounce of desire into her mouth as she kissed her back, as her hand slid up to rest upon her neck. For the first time, one of their kisses wasn't merely full of confidence, sensuality, desire. This time, there was so much affection - on a level closer to Penny's, though different in its own right. Open and earnest.</p><p>In the same way, Ruby felt her eyes closing in bliss. Her hand crept up and into Winter's hair, bringing her in closer. Her other hand was holding her glass as best she could, but even that was a struggle. In the movement and effort Winter displayed when she opened her lips slightly further, when she eased her tongue forward to brush against her own, she could <em>feel</em> it. This kiss was so completely different to what she had felt from her before, yet entirely familiar. Winter Schnee loved her, and she could tell from that single, honest kiss between them. And already she could feel tears welling up in her eyes all over again.</p><p>Though Winter continued to pour more and more of her affection into the contact, eventually it grew to be too powerful. She had to break away to whisper, "I thought I lost you forever!" before she threw her arms around Ruby, pushing her face into her neck and trembling all over as she tried not to break down entirely.</p><p>Although hesitant at first, Ruby eventually found the strength to hug right back, pulling her in tightly as she grasped the cardigan she was wearing. Everything was back, her scent, her touch; <em>her.</em> And she wouldn't have it any other way. What a fool she was to let it all go, to let such a thing slip away because of a pathetic argume-</p><p>"Guys, we're starting to open the presents!"</p><p>Yang happened to call as she stood by the conservatory door. Why did that have to happen <em>now?!</em> Thankfully, there was no awkwardness about the embrace; it simply looked like what Yang had intended for them, for Winter to have helped Ruby with her sadness. And that brought a smile to her face. "Awww, come on you nerds, get in here!"</p><p>Pulling back with a sniffle, she was sure not to do what she would have done - kiss Ruby again - and instead turned immediately to call, "Coming!" When addressing Ruby again, she whispered, "Are you going to be alright? I mean, I think I can dry it up, but we can linger a moment if you need to."</p><p>Moving the hand from the back of her head to her shoulder instead, she nodded. She desperately wanted to do the same, quickly lunge forward and kiss Winter. But that would have to wait until another time. "Y-yeah, we'd better. Yang's been worried about me."</p><p>"Yeah, she said. Your sister really cares for you; I'm glad you're so close." Biting her lip as she stroked Ruby's arm, down out of sight due to the bench, she whispered, "Maybe… she can be one of the first ones we tell, when we're ready. She and Weiss. I think they're the ones who might feel the most strange about us being anything other than sisters-in-law."</p><p>"Yeah… Yeah that's true. It would be a good idea." But it seemed at first, Ruby hadn't quite realised what that implied. Until she started to really think about it. And her eyes widened once she began to think on it more and more, before finally gasping, "You… want that with me? Like, to be completely out in the open? Really?"</p><p>"Possibly," she answered with a shy smile as she finally began to stand up, pulling Ruby to her feet alongside. "Depending on other factors. Mainly, you and Penny; if we did that, she would be part of a polyamorous relationship, even if she has no feelings for me. I don't want to put her in that position if she's not comfortable with it. And then we'll have to decide how we feel about each of the other people in our lives knowing about it in turn."</p><p>"Yeah, of course. If we don't handle this right, people would accuse me of being a cheater. And I don't want that – <em>she</em><span> doesn’t deserve to have people thinking that, either</span>. Don't worry, I'll be talking to her about it soon."</p><p>Winter nodded, then couldn’t help grinning down at the little puppy. Now <em>all hers</em><span> – or at least, more hers than she had been expecting. "I can’t wait."</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Getting pretty close to the end! Also I started writing a new project - I know I know, I'm not even done posting this and Princess And The Dragons! Believe me there's just a ton of fics I could keep posting for all eternity, but they're all a complete mess (except the 2 I'm working on posting now). I might hit the fuck it point and post a few of them without doing any editing or rereading to make sure they make any sense. Yay for all that information nobody asked for!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>NOTE: Car sex, cunnilingus.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>=<b>Chapter 11</b></p><p>Once the newly happy couple entered the conservatory, it became too crowded to talk about their private affairs. Everyone was sat around in the living room, surrounding Weiss who took the middle of the sofa with Yang at her side. Blake and Sun had made it, and they were lingering near Yang. There was still no sign of Qrow, Taiyang or Penny yet. They must have been more held up than they thought. Even if people were still engaged in their own conversations rather than fully focusing on their host, it was still too risky.</p><p>But that didn't stop Ruby standing in place by Winter's side, idly brushing their hands by one another. Not holding, but enough to make her presence known.</p><p>"Okay, I guess we're ready!" Weiss was announcing as Winter hooked her own pinky around Ruby's. No one would have noticed how nervous she was unless they were close to her - either physically or emotionally. Nervous, yet excited.</p><p>"Hang on," Blake said, holding up her phone and aiming the camera at Weiss. "Okay, ready!"</p><p>"Open Yang's! It's sappy!" Ruby called across the crowd loudly, knowing it would definitely be heard on the recording.</p><p>It was a small haul of presents in comparison to previous years, but no one particularly minded. Both the hosts understood that many of their guests either didn't know what to get or couldn't afford much – and they themselves had <em>insisted</em><span> nobody break the bank</span>. It made the cards reviewed all the more special, which Weiss had Yang display by the fireplace right away.</p><p>Nearly an hour later, everyone had gathered at the dinner table. Weiss put the various presents to one side but insisted on wearing the bracelet. While agreeing it was sappy, she loved it – just as both Ruby and Yang suspected she would. Yang and Weiss were sat at one end, with Fènleng in her high chair at the head of the table. By their side were Sun and Blake, then Neon and Inu, then Winter and Ruby. The rest of the guests were further along, with only a few taking the sofa due to lack of space at the table. Everyone took what they wanted from the buffet of sandwiches and snacks, complimenting Neon and Yang who had put it all together on this occasion.</p><p>Ruby sometimes managed to give Winter a shy wave. There was still no sign of Penny just yet. But while things were up in the air with Winter, she assumed that was for the best. They could talk soon.</p><p>"You know," Winter said to Neon as she leaned to one side so they could speak more easily, "you two did quite a good job on this spread. If you ever get tired of performing, you could probably try your hand at party planning."</p><p>Blowing a loud raspberry, she smirked back toward her. "No way! Any nimrod can spread some mayo on bread’n add some tuna or ham. I just needed to do it a few hundred times!"</p><p>"Well, I might think about it! I'm sure as hell still not used to going out and people recognising me on the street, like I’m <em>somebody</em>." Grabbing a few of the cheese sandwiches and some potato chips, Yang looked toward her little sister from across the table. "Don't worry, I put Penny's vegan stuff to the side so she'll have plenty when she gets here. Made it special!"</p><p>"Oh, great! She'll really like that!" Ruby grinned straight back, having just put a bratwurst on her plate and adding more chips. "They're still held up, I think… traffic must be bad."</p><p>"Sometimes it gets pretty congested," Weiss agreed as she popped a devilled egg into her mouth. "Flying out of Nashville is as miserable as LAX. But you get used to it."</p><p>"This tuna is <em>excellent</em>," Blake commented with a smile. "You really went all out."</p><p>"Seconded! I'm surprised it hasn’t summoned the real cat yet." Taking a few of the tuna sandwiches for herself, Neon then looked back to Weiss while she prepared her own and some of Fènleng's food. "Hey, where is Xu-Xu anyways?"</p><p>But while they had their light, aimless conversations, it seemed Ruby was zoning out for a moment. She had got her food, and simply stared blankly at her plate as she began to eat. Dwelling on Penny being late would do no good for her mood, so eating was a good solution.</p><p>And so was something else going on under the table. About a third of the way through her bratwurst, Ruby could feel a sensation sliding up her calf. It was very light, but definitely present; a teasing. As it did so, she could hear Winter answering another question Blake had asked.</p><p>"Oh, I'm not much of a pet person. But I <em>might</em> be persuaded to take in a rescue." Her eyes flicked between both her and Ruby. "Perhaps a cat and a dog, if they could play nice with each other."</p><p>Swallowing the meat in her mouth, Ruby shuddered with both a mixture of shock and pleasure. She could feel very easily it was Winter's soft foot, teasing her with those pedicured nails. And it began to rise! Then it hit her: Winter's ultimate payback for what happened with her father. She wasn't finished with her just yet, but could balance their debts by winding her up in front of <em>all </em>the guests.</p><p>"Really?" Blake was laughing with a wider smile. "Maybe find a cat who wouldn't mind being cat-sat by you until you could adopt one of your own. I could help you with that."</p><p>The elder Schnee sister hummed her agreement as the teasing went up to Ruby's knee, tracing tiny circles as it went. "You know, that might be nice. Test if I'm really ready to take on a <em>pet </em>full-time."</p><p>Again, her eyes went back to Ruby. Now biting her lip, Ruby waited for what was coming. She had to maintain a mask of calm, not show that she was really flustered. She never considered all these factors when doing it to Winter. No wonder she wanted to get back at her in this way; it would teach her not to underestimate how hard this was to do on the receiving end.</p><p>"Ahem!" Sun ejaculated toward Winter in regards to her comments. Assuming they were intended for Blake, he leant forward. "'Ix-nay' on the 'Et stuff-pay', alright? These people are super vanilla!"</p><p>Leaning forward herself, Winter's foot disappeared during the action. "Nobody would pick up on what we meant if you weren't drawing more attention to it, Monkey Boy," she hissed. Though she was still smiling; not at all upset, just mildly bemused that Sun had let himself get so easily flustered.</p><p>Looking downward got his plate and groaning in annoyance instead, he murmured, "Just shut up and eat your sandwiches."</p><p>But Ruby was finally sighing with relief, going back to her sandwich. She assumed that Winter had stopped taunting her, thinking she realised how mean it really was in front of people. That she had enjoyed her revenge.</p><p>"Aww, it's okay," Blake was murmuring to Sun very gently, petting his shoulder to soothe him. "But Winter is right in this case; we were just talking about pets. No big deal."</p><p>"And a well cared for pet is a happy pet," Winter went on, as her foot resumed its upward progress - this time, starting at the knee and working inward. "Don't worry, I've done a lot of pet-sitting in my time."</p><p>"Oh really?” Yang put in. “We'll have to get you to cat-sit Xu-Xu for us, Winter. See, we wanted to take Fènleng to Disneyland sometime soon-"</p><p>Yang was immediately cut off by Neon. "Kids her age can barely go on anything!"</p><p>"Who said it was just for her?"</p><p>But the host's little sister was distracted once more. Forced to release the sandwich which dropped to her plate, she froze up once again. Winter was continuing to wind her up in plain sight. She only hoped that no one was going to notice, somehow.</p><p>"Wouldn't mind it a bit," she was saying serenely while pushing her foot further and further between Ruby's thighs, underneath the meager protection her skit offered. "Though Neon does have a point. It might be more fun if you leave Fèn with one of us and just go to Disney yourselves."</p><p>"I could <em>never </em>do that!" Weiss gasped out, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder for emphasis. "My little girl, alone, for days at a time?!"</p><p>"Babe, didn't you wanna go back on tour for a couple of <em>months </em>next year, though?" Yang laughed. Looking back to Neon and Winter, she smiled. "For her, it would mainly be for pictures. We wanna build lots of memories and make some scrapbooks and stuff. You know, stuff to embarrass her with in front of her friends, or when she brings a date home."</p><p>Once the foot pressed home beneath the skirt, however, there was a harsh thud at the table from where Ruby jumped in surprise, knees impacting with the surface above. Either way, it got quite a bit of attention - the opposite of what she wanted. Already her cheeks were glowing.</p><p>It was remarkable how real the look of confusion and concern on Winter's face was as she asked, "Are you alright?" Even as the toes resumed their progress, getting so close to the mark again, she was laying her palms on either side of her plate, as if pretending she was about to stand.</p><p>"I-I… U-Uh…" By now, Ruby could feel her right up against her panties, pressing inward and taunting her fragile flesh. How was she supposed to respond to that with everyone looking? She didn't have as much self-control as Winter did!</p><p>There was nothing else for it. As much as she didn't want to give up and accept her fate, she found herself having to move her chair back slightly. He blush was completely red, enough to give Winter a big enough hint that her efforts were not fruitless. Once out of the foot's reach, she shot an apologetic look over toward Weiss.</p><p>"S-sorry, just need the bathroom. Where, uh, was it again?"</p><p>"There's one right here on this floor," Weiss said in some confusion. "And downstairs and upstairs, of course. You've been here before, haven't you?"</p><p>"Y-yeah… I… Sorry, I forgot. I'm being dumb. E-excuse me!"</p><p>And barely even managing to tuck her skirt back down in time, Ruby dashed away from her chair and straight to the bathroom, leaving their guests very confused. Winter had to play it cool. Even with the guilty thrill that shot into her stomach, she had to at least pretend that she had no idea that anything was wrong with Ruby. However, after a full minute had passed, she withdrew her phone from her bosom and sent a quick message.</p><p>
  <em>R u ok?</em>
</p><p>"Your sister's kinda crazy, Yang." Neon was heard commenting as she went to grab more tuna sandwiches.</p><p>"Yeah, but at least she's in better moods now." Yang admitted, looking toward the eldest Schnee with a bright smile. "We got Winter to thank for that."</p><p>But after a short moment, there was a buzz through to Winter's phone. A message back.</p><p>
  <em>Fine! I guess I deserved that. But I knew I was gonna end up moaning so I had to leave quick! D:</em>
</p><p>"Oh, I just… did what I could," Winter said evasively as she began to type back.</p><p>
  <em>You could have stopped me and said it was too much, I just thought it would be fun ; ) I'll help you moan more later</em>
</p><p>"My sister's so modest," Weiss said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. But she was smirking. "She's so good at reassuring people. The same sister who once convinced me that if I ate a caterpillar, I would have a literal butterfly in my stomach."</p><p>"That was ONE time!" Winter said in exasperation as she laid her phone down to take a drink of water. "And I was five, you can hardly blame me!"</p><p>While everyone chuckled, Weiss said, "Can't I?"</p><p>"Oh, that's bush league compared to the stuff I did." Yang laughed, holding up the hand with her sandwich to gesture along with her story. "When we had our first dog, Ein, Ruby would always try and run around on all fours like him. I told her if she did absolutely everything a dog does, she would be able to turn into one."</p><p>"Oh my God, <em>please </em>tell me she didn't whiz on any fire hydrants!" Sun was already laughing halfway through Yang's story, but then came another vibration from Winter's phone.</p><p>
  <em>Honestly I haven't felt up to doing anything so long it's so tempting just to go to town on myself in here o//o</em>
</p><p>"Nothing like that!" Yang could be heard continuing. "But I looked away for two minutes, then suddenly both Ein <em>and</em> Ruby are rolling in a pool of mud! Dad was so pissed when we got home!"</p><p>With a knowing glint in her eye, Blake said in a deceptively-casual tone, "Wow, maybe you should look after Ruby when you look after Xu-Xu, Winter."</p><p>"Oh? Oh, I- perhaps so!" Now Winter could feel her own desires returning, but she was well practiced at maintaining a façade; no one else would know she was turned on. Even as she began to casually type…</p><p>
  <em>Not yet. Please? I want to help more… directly. Tell me where to meet u</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Here? Really???</em>
</p><p>But Yang quickly gave Blake a rather playful glare. She might have been oblivious to what Blake was talking about, but assumed it was something else instead. "What are you saying, my sister's a furry or something? Gross."</p><p>Another vibration. Ruby had added to her last reply before Winter could type her own: <em>My car.</em></p><p>"Nothing against furries, but if she likes rolling around in the dirt, might be better to have someone putting her on a leash." Again, Blake glanced at Winter with a smirk.</p><p>"Well, I think this conversation is taking a turn for the strange," Weiss observed as she reached for another handful of chips to add to her plate. "My sister walking my sister-in-law like a dog! You're weird, Blake."</p><p>"Weird, yeah," Blake was muttering while Winter replied to her texts.</p><p>
  <em>Slip out the back and around the house, I'll excuse myself when I can</em>
</p><p>"Some people are into that," Neon spoke up with a small smirk. In fact, she looked toward not only Weiss who started the conversation, but also occasionally to the woman sat opposite her. The ever-silent Inu.</p><p>"For real? People get off on being treated like a dog?" But the more Yang commented on it, the shorter Inu seemed to become as she sank down in her seat, cheeks reddening. Contrary to what the three people at the table who had prior experience in the Clamp assumed, it seemed there was yet another who shared those sorts of interests among them!</p><p>But Winter would have to miss that conversation if it went on. She had just received another message:</p><p>
  <em>I'll text Weiss just to tell her I'll be on the phone. Should buy us enough time. I'm headed to the car now, don't keep me waiting or I'll have to start without you ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)</em>
</p><p>Feeling her heart speed up into her throat, Winter let out a long, beleaguered sigh. Then she texted back a simple “<em>Ok, be there soon”</em> before pushing her chair back, finally putting on the shoe she had dislodged to tease her poor sub.</p><p>"I am sorry, I have to take this after all; some business can't wait. Don't worry, I'll just nip out front and take care of it. Excuse me."</p><p>But Blake's amber eyes were focused entirely on Winter as she stood. "Well, have fun." It was said flippantly, as if she were being sarcastic, but they both knew she was serious.</p><p>"Hurry back!" Weiss bade her as she strode from the table and out the front door. "All this food isn't going to eat itself!"</p><p>Due to how much closer the front door was to the car than the back door, Winter actually made it outside first. Therefore, she spent the time slipping off her cardigan and draping it over one arm, strolling lazily toward Ruby's car. Her heart was pounding with excitement, but she didn't dare show it. Not when there was a slim chance someone might glance out the foyer window and spot her dancing like a giddy schoolgirl.</p><p>Before Ruby was in sight, the car could be heard unlocking as the lights flashed. Then came one more vibration from the phone.</p><p>
  <em>Just getting my shoes. Get in, seats can be lowered and there's a blanket in the back, be two seconds ; )</em>
</p><p>Winter blinked down at the message, then pulled the door handle, sliding into the passenger's side. As she closed the door, she began to message back - because it had to be asked.</p><p>
  <em>Where were your shoes before??</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I took them off when I first came over. She always keeps the garden clean so I never bothered to put them back on!</em>
</p><p>But finally, Ruby was in sight walking around the building. She had managed to avoid the gaze of the other guests as she made her way to the car. But just before she got there, she sent one last teasing text.</p><p>
  <em>Surprised you didn't notice actually ; )))))</em>
</p><p>Biting her lip, Winter wrapped her phone in her cardigan and put it in the back seat, then grabbed the blanket to pull over herself. She waited until the driver's side door opened before she spoke.</p><p>"I had other worries on my mind. But… now that you mention it, I do seem to remember spotting some cute little piggies dancing along the floor…"</p><p>Quickly shutting the door behind her and locking it, Ruby grinned just as giddily when she looked back to Winter. She could barely even contain herself as she lowered her seat, attempting to create a more comfortable area for their activities.</p><p>"I wasn't thinking about it! Not till you started teasing me with yours. You total asshole, by the way!"</p><p>"Just thought I'd pay you back," she said with a grin, sliding the blanket so that she could throw it over Ruby, as well. "A little. Not really make you <em>too </em>uncomfortable - at least, I hope I didn't."</p><p>"No, it didn't," she assured her. It wouldn’t do to wound their barely-established relationship with misunderstandings. Scootching slightly toward Winter, she shuffled off her own jacket, tossing it to one side. Then started to undo one or two buttons to give Winter more of a view. "Like I said… I'm just so pent up you were about to make me lose my cool. So I'd rather you do that here, in private."</p><p>Now that she had been reassured, it seemed Winter wasn't above more teasing. As she watched the buttons open, she muttered, "Didn't want to let on to your big sister that you were all hot and bothered? I can imagine…"</p><p>It was certainly helping the situation, making her growl with desire as she felt deep heat brewing between her legs. But that need was becoming more of a priority than any small talk. It had been too long; not only had she enjoyed no sexual contact with Penny since that time in the car, but she had felt no motivation to take care of her urges on her own. But now that they were back with a passion, all she could do was look her dead in the eye.</p><p>"Quit teasing me and make me scream already."</p><p>As Winter's smile slowly began to fade, she reached over and grasped Ruby, pulling her across the space to lay atop her. A shoe clattered to the floor while she ran her hands up and down her sides, over her hindquarters.</p><p>"Ruby, I missed you so fucking much," she growled needily, past the point of caring how it sounded. Her hands were already gouging into the backs of the girl's thighs, digging in as they worked their way closer to her centre.</p><p>Several shaky gasps fell from from the younger woman’s lips. Still wearing an elated smile, instinct was already starting to take over. No longer did she care about their sub or Dom roles; this time, it was a case of doing whatever each of them wanted, trusting their intuition. Already Ruby felt her hips pushing forward against Winter's needily, desperate to get anything she could of her and push back against those hands in addition. Her arms wrapped around Winter's shoulders, keeping her close as she pressed her forehead against hers.</p><p>"I missed you, too." A hand dived into her hair. "I'm so happy you're here."</p><p>"I know how we started," Winter began as one hand slid around Ruby's hip to begin hiking up her skirt, to rub against her through the thin material of her underwear. "But now it's so much more than just training you. I… I have thought about you every single day since the last time we saw each other!"</p><p><em>"</em><em>Nhhh!</em> God, I'm so glad I'm not the only one!" Already she was so warm – and all over! No doubt Winter would be able to feel just how wet she had been, it was soaking her undies already. Looking her dead in he eye, she whispered, "So what are you waiting for? Fuck me." And without hesitating any longer, she crashed her lips up against Winter's.</p><p>As she kissed back, harder than ever before, Winter wasted no time. Ordinarily, her hands would have been doing a thousand things, taunting flesh and ghosting up thighs. In this instance, she jerked the crotch of Ruby's soft cotton panties aside and began to rub up and down her dripping folds, fingers moving with practiced ease.</p><p>Finally, Ruby could do just as she wanted to in the presence of everyone in that room. And she didn't hold back, moaning contentedly into their kiss as she continued to thrust her hips forward into the slender fingers. Even if she was glad they could do as they wanted, Ruby was able to come up with one downside to their impromptu session: they didn't have an artillery of Winter's wonderful toys to use. If only they had somehow anticipated this reconciliation.</p><p>Not that she was complaining. Slender fingers would be able to bring her to just as satisfying a finish. She knew that deep down. And she was so desperate for it she couldn't hold back any of the needy thrusts.</p><p>Clearly, the girl was ready for more. Not wanting to be conspicuously gone any longer than they had to be, she plunged her middle finger straight into Ruby, curling in with great relish as her tongue began to do the same with the beautiful mouth atop her own.</p><p>"HMMMHH!"</p><p>What a loud and needy sound that fell into Winter's mouth. <em>Yesss, that’s the spot right there</em><em>,</em> Ruby thought. She continued to push herself forward against Winter's hand while she worked at that sensitive spot inside, feeling the slender and thin finger buried inside her. But one wasn't enough. Oh no. To be truly satisfied, she needed more than that. Ruby’s hand dove down toward where Winter was working and tapping at one of her other fingers with hers lightly. Just enough to give an undoubtable hint.</p><p>But it seemed that even now, Winter couldn't be satisfied with doing this the usual way. Pausing their kiss, she panted, "You want another? Go ahead. Add another." As she said this, she switched from middle to index, pushing the rest of her hand as far out of Ruby's way as she could manage.</p><p>Trying to keep her volume down by habit, she looked down at Winter wide eyed. That wasn't something she had heard of before; born of them working together to push her to orgasm. But the way Winter was so casual about it excited her so much! It was worth a try. Holding her hand right beside Winter's, she pushed a finger inside, trusting Winter to follow.</p><p>She did, keeping pace with the entry. Of course, it wasn't quite so easy to pull off as only one of them using two fingers, but it turned out to be just doable. Having two hands in such an area forced Ruby's legs further apart, but she was young and flexible; it wasn't impossible.</p><p>"Oooh," Winter cooed as she felt a foreign digit sliding over her own, both of them buried deep in the waiting sex. "How does <em>that </em>feel?"</p><p>For some reason, this made Ruby shudder even more. It was one thing not to be fully in control, it was another to hand it completely over. But to share? How many times has Winter done this with others, she wondered… "S-so good…" she breathed needily, even pushing herself up against the hands right at her welcoming warmth, trying to welcome them further in.</p><p>"Yeah?" Panting heatedly, she began to move her finger at the same time as Ruby's - but she couldn't quite get the rhythm. That seemed to make her partner undulate and buck even more than she would have done under ordinary circumstances. "Mmm, you look like you're losing yourself in it… I hope it's in the best of ways."</p><p>"Nnhhhh, yeah, it d-definitely is," she assured her, holding still for a moment as she tried to sync herself up with Winter's hand. Each time it wasn't quite matched, she shuddered a little more, even squealed on top of things on occasion. She could feel her toes beginning to curl in her shoes already. Why didn't she get off inside? It would have made things more of a challenge, at least.</p><p>Winter's lips found their way to Ruby's neck as she felt her began to buck atop her, as she tried to curl at the same speed. She was also just able to get her thumb right up against her clit as she did so, hoping the slight friction from their movements would be enough to help send her into the stratosphere sooner rather than later.</p><p>Continuing to buck and twitch as her neck was kissed, the moaning was unfortunately increasing in volume. She couldn't help it one bit, it was such a strange sensation! At times when Winter would curl her finger, Ruby would in another direction, which made her feel her inner walls very slightly stretched out. That was more filling than anything. She could feel her heart beginning to race as she grasped Winter's shirt with her spare hand, and felt the few stray quivers that informed her it wouldn’t be long now.</p><p>"C-close… I-I'm close already! F-fuck! What are you doing to me?!"</p><p>"Let it happen! Oh God, Ruby - you sound so good!" Winter flexed her finger faster than ever, inwardly loving the feeling of Ruby's sliding over hers; it felt so foreign and new, added an intriguing dimension for her. Clearly, it was doing way more than for the smaller woman atop her. "Cum for me! Cum hard for me, Lady!"</p><p><em>God had she missed that petname.</em> <span>Finally</span>, she was pushed over the edge. When Winter curled her finger one more time, and she did too, she felt them hit that sweet spot just right. That in addition to Winter's play with her clit, and she was done for. Shuddering on top of her, “Lady” moaned one more time as loud as she was able, feeling her inner walls clenching around the digits inside her. She felt her fluids getting out of control again, sprinkling Winter's leg and the seat very slightly.</p><p>But they had done it. <em>In the car, at WEISS’S BIRTHDAY PARTY.</em></p><p>"Ohhh, wow," Winter breathed, gazing up at hey affectionately. "I wasn't thinking about your ejaculation problem. But… it's so hot…" Drawing away, she left a light kiss on her lips. "You'll never know how much I missed that these past few months."</p><p>For a moment, she just lay on top of Winter's front, gasping for breath and smiling with glee as she gradually came down from her high. That was something she missed for a long while. It felt like a relief to regain waht they had lost. But they were still on the clock. After a minute, she was pulling out her own and Winter's finger so she could descend. "Your turn."</p><p>"Oh… oh, that isn't necessary, Ruby," she told her earnestly as she watched the girl sink to the floorboard. "I just wanted to follow through on what I promised at the dinner table. You don't have to…"</p><p>But already Ruby was crammed into the footwell of the passenger seat. She still made sure the blanket was covering her up, but she began to brush her hands up and down Winter's thighs needily. While Ruby first needed to get off, she needed Winter as well. She needed to be the one to hear her moan again. Hitching up her skirt with each brush, she smirked.</p><p>"But I didn't get to eat yet."</p><p>While watching her down there, Winter couldn't help but sigh and smile gently at the face between her knees. After a beat, she whispered to her, "You're the most beautiful woman in the entire world."</p><p>"Hmm… Nope!" Without elaborating, she made sure to tuck the blanket over them both to keep the area covered. Anything else, Winter would just have to feel. And first thing was first, she would kiss the insides of her thighs, making her way upward toward her underwear rather quickly. While she knew Winter needed the teasing, they had a limited time-window.</p><p>And the elder woman didn't waste any time in allowing her eyes to close, to relax into the gentle motions. She was going to enjoy it, of course, but if she fought against the tiny ripples of pleasure, it would take much longer than if she rode them out.</p><p>Lady managed to nudge aside her panties with her nose again. She had a feeling it would be preferred by Winter to do so, as a gentle reminder of their play from before. One that, since Yang mentioned the dog story, was starting to make sense why she enjoyed! She at first delivered a single, small kiss before she opened her mouth wider against the folds, and went in for the kill.</p><p>If the kiss had made her sigh, the actions that followed made her moan. Winter's legs raised up to drape over Ruby's back as she opened herself up to more stimulation, more attentions from the ravenous tongue of her lover.</p><p><em>Lover…</em> The title sounded accurate now. Justified. Even the strange things they had put each other through, the worries and the uncertainty, hadn't been enough to stop them from being together. All she wanted was to see that through, to become one with the only person she had ever cared about beyond friendship. To see where things led.</p><p>And right now, they were leading further and further toward Winter's finish. That tongue hadn't lost its talent, and lapped at Winter's sex readily and needily. In particular, she focused on the clit, kissing it on occasion over and over again. But she knew to add more. And a hint of that was coming as she parted the lips further with her fingers, the other hand still stroking her inner thigh.</p><p>"Ohhh, yes," Winter panted obscenely, pushing a hand into the side of Ruby's head as her back arched very slightly. "Ruby, please - more! It feels so good, I can't help it, I n-need…"</p><p>Ruby would <em>absolutely </em>deliver more. Keeping the lips apart, she finally gave her what she craved. Aware it would be awkward for Winter to join her down there, she entered her body with two fingers. In unison with her licking, she pumped in and out of her body with them. All the while she was smirking as she listened to the sound of her new lover.</p><p>Her other partner in addition to Penny. It was a dream come true.</p><p>The fingers instantly had Winter screaming, curling her stomach as her hungry sex tried to clamp down on them, hold them inside. It hadn't been as long for Winter since she orgasmed, but it being Ruby was enough to get her within a hair's breadth very quickly. Her lips stretched wide and her head fell back completely as she let the feeling wash over her, as a few more good thrusts sent her spinning off into an explosion of pleasure unlike any she had enjoyed in months.</p><p>Though it wasn't just the swift orgasm that ended their spontaneous session. It was a small, but sharp knock on the car window. One that made Ruby's head jerk up from under the blanket.</p><p>What she saw was a freckle-cheeked ginger smiling in at them. No one else was standing outside her car, luckily enough; only Penny, looking pleased as could be to see her girlfriend. She waved, being that the windows were up and it would probably be hard to hear her through them.</p><p>"Holy shit Penny!" Eyes snapping wide open, Ruby was quick to remove her fingers from Winter's body and pull her panties back into place. Even if Penny couldn't hear them, she still waved back, talking nervously. "U-Um… Hi! I… I meant to message you about this!"</p><p>"What?" Penny called back. "Hi!"</p><p>"Oh shit," Winter was whispering, blinking at the redhead. Even though she was clearly in a good mood, she still felt awkward that there had been no time to discuss things with Penny directly… before such an unfortunate moment!</p><p>"U-Um… Uh…" There wasn't any way to talk to Penny without yelling aimlessly in the car ,or finding her keys to start the engine and roll the window down. Even if it wasn't the most convenient of moments, she couldn't let things slide without saying a word. Resigning to it, Ruby opened the door very slightly, just enough so Penny could hear her talk. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to… to walk up and… U-Uh…"</p><p>But Penny simply flung the door wide, squatted down and embraced her girlfriend, even having to crane around Winter's leg the way she did. The genuine warmth and affection in the action told Ruby that she wasn't doing it merely for show; she had just missed her that much.</p><p>"I love my parents, but I love you, too," she breathed into Ruby's sweat-dampened hair. "So good to be back."</p><p>"W-Wha?!" More shocked than anything at first, Ruby looked at Winter with a look of confusion for a moment, until she finally embraced Penny right back, locking her arms around Penny's shoulders. Although about to grasp her, she held back with one of the hands. Penny would <em>not </em>appreciate <em>that </em>on her back!</p><p>"Awww, I missed you, too! I'm just so sorry I couldn't tackle hug you or something! This is… is awkward."</p><p>Once Ruby said that, her partner drew back with a slight pinkness in her cheeks. From experience, she knew it was more that Penny was embarrassed than that she was "turned on," of course. "Right. Well, I saw you while I was walking up to the house. Luckily, Taiyang and Qrow didn't notice, so I told them I wanted to get something my suitcase." At last, she spared Winter a bashful glance. "Hello."</p><p>"G-good to see you," she murmured, her own face redder than either of the other two.</p><p>"Still, I did want to talk to you." Drawing back from their embrace, Ruby looked toward the emerald eyes she adored so much. And then to Winter, as well. The two women she loved, both in the same place. And oddly without a single hitch. How lucky she truly was to have them both, even if it was an awkward circumstance.</p><p>"Penny, I'm sorry I’ve been such a sad sack the past few months," she told her, partially explaining for her and Winter's benefit, especially with the next line. "It was my fault for not trying to solve this sooner and letting myself mope. Honestly, I don't know how either of you put up with me sometimes…"</p><p>Both of them moved to hug her, but Winter held back when she noticed Penny was doing the same. The latter said, "Sorry, you can go first if you want."</p><p>"No, it's… Penny, I'm sorry we haven't spoken properly about this before now." Her eyes flicked toward Ruby and back. "This is an unusual situation, but not unheard of. But clearly we both care very much about Ruby. So… well, it's her decision in the end, but it seems only honest for me to ask you directly, as well. Are you sure you don’t mind? Since you and she had the pre-existing relationship."</p><p>"And please don't make a choice solely because of me," Ruby insisted, making sure Penny was looking at her while she said it. Stroking her arm gently, she went on, "Because I want you to be happy, too. I <em>need </em>you to be happy. I don't want you to agree with this but be hating every moment of it."</p><p>"But I'm fine." When Ruby only kept looking at her in concern, she sighed and petted her neck. "Okay… I was upset when you first told me you wanted to start going to the club and trying things with other people. But not with <em>you</em>. I… was more frustrated with myself for not being enough for you. For not being wired the way that most people are and not being able to give you everything."</p><p>"But you give me everything I need!" She quickly took her hand – and then in addition, took Winter's. She simply made sure Winter's was the hand they'd been doing things with, just so it didn't disturb Penny. "You both do! I don't need sex at the end of the day. It's just… fun! Like going for a walk, or to a convention, it's not a need, it's… almost a hobby! What I need is what you both give me. Love and care, and good times. And that's what I have from you both. And I love you both for it!"</p><p>After a moment, Penny smiled and told her in a gentle voice, "I know. I got over that frustration pretty quickly; it was an emotional knee-jerk response. You being happy is a lot more important, and once I realized that you would be, and it wouldn't 'cost' me anything, the rest was pretty easy to process."</p><p>"You really don't mind?" Winter asked her, voice steady despite her obvious fear. "One hundred percent sure?"</p><p>"Not at all. You have treated Ruby well; even in the story she told me about your argument, I could tell you were very distressed about what she had done and who she had done it in front of. She never said you hit her, or called her a bad person; you were just upset and trying to handle those new feelings. And other than that one incident, she has never had a bad thing to say about you."</p><p>"And I kinda blamed myself more, anyway…" Ruby began to sit upright, adjusting her position for ease of movement for Winter. "Anyway… I guess we better head back inside. They'll be wondering where we are."</p><p>"Not just yet," Penny said. "Winter, come here a moment."</p><p>Bewildered, the taller woman leaned down, taking the moment to right her seat as she did so. It was going to squeeze Ruby a bit, but she was small enough so that she could still easily extract herself. "Yes? Oh!"</p><p>"I love you," Penny told her gently as she embraced her. "I have never hated or resented you. What you can do for Ruby is very important because she's important to me. So I don't want you worrying about me; I know you're going to keep treating her well, so I have no reason to be worried, either."</p><p>Smiling gratefully, Ruby looked back and forth between both her girlfriends. This was all she could ask for; her two favourite people being okay with one another's company. It would certainly make things easier. Giggling to herself, she suggested, "Maybe one day we can all have a cuddle pile. We’ll need a bigger bed, of course."</p><p>"You're welcome to move in with me," Winter told them easily. "Either to all sleep in the same bed, or I could convert my office. But I'm sure you'd rather have your own apartment."</p><p>"That would be preferable to me. Not saying we couldn't sleep over at your place." Penny drew back from the hug so she could lay one of her hands on Ruby's shoulder, even as the other remained on Winter's back. "On evenings when you two don't want to have sex, of course; I wouldn't want you worrying about what I'm going to do with myself while you do."</p><p>"Well first we'll need to tell dad." Finally getting out from the small space, Ruby took the blanket to finally clean her hand, passing it over to Winter for her to do the same once Penny had let go. "He'll probably be all weepy that his kids have finally left, but he'll help us move."</p><p>"Very true." Then Penny beamed at her, cheeks bunching. "Ohh, I'm so happy - you look so much more like yourself than you have the past months!"</p><p>Penny threw both arms around her and went in for a big, affectionate kiss. She kissed back gratefully, allowing a moment to open her mouth a little wider to kiss deeper. "MMM!" She suddenly pulled back before Penny went too far, laughing nervously. "That… uh… that’s not a good idea right now. W-we just…"</p><p>But the ginger was already smacking her lips in vague confusion. "Oh… right, now I remember what you were doing before I knocked. Well… I guess that's my fault for forgetting, isn't it?" Her cheeks were getting rosier, but her smile was no less satisfied at their circumstances. "Um… I hope she doesn't mind."</p><p>"Me?" Winter asked, smiling herself now. Even though it was odd knowing her essence was on this more-or-less stranger’s tongue now, it wasn’t exactly the first time that had happened. "No, not at all! Why should I mind? I just- well, if you're asexual, I didn't… that wouldn't have been something I <em>wanted</em> to happen. But if you're not upset about it, why should I be?"</p><p>"You don't taste that different from Ruby, really. No need to be worried." Then she turned back to Ruby and made an even bigger show of kissing her right on the mouth. "It's <em>who</em> I'm kissing that's important, not where their mouth has been. Unless it’s on someone who has been sick, because I don’t want to catch their germs."</p><p>Blushing rather deeply, Ruby smiled back at Penny bashfully. She always was able to leave her a giddy mess, even if it was through flattery.</p><p>But worried that they really would be missed if they stayed any longer, she finally made an effort to unfold herself from the car, soon followed by Winter. Penny and Ruby headed inside first to avoid suspicion. At least this way, she had the excuse that she was waiting for her when she left to go to the bathroom. Then a few minutes later came Winter, who had “just finished her business”. Yang slid Penny her diet-specific food, along with a few sandwiches and snacks for Ruby and Winter before Qrow and Taiyang could stuff their faces.</p><p>"Goodness, Winter, that took forever," Weiss observed from where she was showing one of the women from Fènleng's daycare a photo album. "Business or pleasure?"</p><p>"A little of both," she hedged. "How's the party going? Did you get everything you wanted?"</p><p>"I did! Thank you for the music box, I didn't know they sold them with any of my songs."</p><p>At that, Winter had to smile. "They don't; it was a custom job." God bless Etsy. When Weiss broke away from the other woman to give her a hug, she laughed and hugged back. "Happy birthday."</p><p>Smiling contentedly at them, Ruby mostly stood by Penny or hung back by herself, with the main people she knew all busy talking to other party guests. Still, it was the happiest she had felt in months. As she watched her lovers spending time with friends and family, she relaxed back against the wall with her punch. Everything was copacetic.</p><p>Until a hand landed on her shoulder. "Hey there, Red."</p><p>Nearly jumping out of her skin, Ruby looked straight around to the source. <em>"</em><em>U-uncle </em><em>Qrow!</em> Sorry, I forgot you were coming!"</p><p>Her uncle laughed confidently, lowering his hand as he stood to one side of her, also leaning back against the wall. "Yeah, Yang sorta insisted. And I kinda needed the day out. It's nice to see the inside of somewhere other than the same old same-old."</p><p>"Yeah. I can imagine…" Unable to help it, Ruby was already growing nervous again. She hadn't even discussed anything with Qrow since finding out his living situation – and more. She was too afraid to in case it made things awkward, and lead to awkward questions. But that wasn't helping here at all when she realised she had nothing to say.</p><p>But Qrow beat her to it. "So, you and Snowbird sorted things out yet?" When Ruby blinked up in surprise at him, Qrow cut her off before she could speak. "Yeah, I know. Not only did she talk about it, but I saw a beady li’l eye watch me head to my room. You've never been the sneakiest of kids, Ruby."</p><p>"Great," the redhead muttered in embarrassment. While looking down at the floor instead however, she did add, "But yes… we talked it out. A-and… it went really well. Everything’s cool."</p><p>"Good to hear." Taking a sip of his drink, he sighed easily. Never was one to have ruffled feathers. "Maybe this means she'll be less gloomy. I mean, I tried to cheer her up, but there was only so much I could do."</p><p>"Please don't tell me how." Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to push the mental image of her other girlfriend with <em>her uncle</em> back out of her mind. Nobody needed that in their life. "I-I know it was selfish of me… to get mad over such a dumb reason. I think it's because you're more or less a second dad to me."</p><p>"You got that right," he laughed. "But, yeah, I wouldn't wanna imagine my pa doing anything with my girl, either. And I guess that's what first came to mind for ya." Though after a while, he cleared his throat, looking with a contented smile toward her. "I really am happy for you both, though. Winter's a special gal, anyone could tell you that. And I can't think of a better match for her than you."</p><p>"Qrow…" Against her will, she could feel her eyes beginning to well up. She had expected the conversation to be awkward with him, especially since he clearly enjoyed Winter's company as well. Managing to hold them back, she nodded. "Thank you… I just hope I can do right by her and Penny. Gonna be interesting figuring it all out."</p><p>"Kid, you get two birthdays and two Christmas presents now. But I guess that goes both ways." Giving a small pat on her shoulder, he smirked. "Say bye bye to your money."</p><p>"Ah, but Ruby is my <em>sub</em>," Winter muttered as she snuck up behind them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Typically, I'll be buying her the gifts. And Qrow has seen the one you gave me hanging up in my 'special' closet."</p><p>"The one I-" Although immediately her eyes opened wide when she realised what that was, Qrow could only laugh at her reaction. “You put that on your <em>wall?!</em><span> But it was just a doodle!”</span></p><p>He mussed her hair slightly. "Don't look so shocked! When I first saw it, I thought she had it done by a professional. Had no idea it was you, squirt!"</p><p>Smiling gently, Winter leaned a little closer to Ruby, but still spoke in a tone they could both hear. "All teasing aside, it’s one of my favourite things. You’re really talented and I hope you keep it up."</p><p>Then, so quickly that none of the other guests would spot it, she left a tiny kiss behind Ruby's ear. But of course <em>one</em> <span>did</span>, and rolled his eyes. "God, you two, get a room. I'm gonna hang out with Tai and Jacques, see how they're getting along. Grumpy Old Men sequel over there. Take it easy."</p><p>And finally he left them on their own. Probably for the best, seeing as the smaller sub's cheeks were glowing red with their typical embarrassment. A side effect of all the affection she would have to get used to. The moment Qrow was well out of earshot, along with the rest of the party, Winter changed the subject.</p><p>"You're mine again. We'll have to think of some new fun things to do with you. How about… next time I take you for a walk at the Clamp, we see about slipping a pair of vibrating panties under your suit? Wouldn't that be fun?"</p><p>The blush only intensified even more at that idea. The walk alone was enough to do that! "Maybe…" She swallowed nervously. "It'd certainly be… interesting."</p><p>"Maybe we'll both wear a pair." Another furtive glance, and she ghosted a hand over Ruby's hind end. "The car was a preview of… <em>coming </em>attractions. There's a lot more in your future."</p><p>And with even more of a red blush, Ruby was beginning to sink further and further down the wall in embarrassment. She would be quite a sight for the rest of the evening, but didn't wish for anything else.</p><p>"I hope I can get used to this again…"</p><p>"Get used to what?" Penny asked as she walked up to them, sliding her hands around Ruby's waist and kissing her gently on the cheek. The action pushed Ruby's behind into Winter's hand again, which squeezed it very slightly.</p><p>Lady couldn't wish for anything more under the stars than surviving the embrace and love of her two favourite women. But clearly, history had proven she wasn't afraid to try.</p><p>= End =</p><p>= Stay Tuned for White Noise: <b>Sister Midnight</b> =</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WOW, I can't believe after so long between updates it's finally all up! Hope you guys enjoyed the ride and are happy that Ruby and Winter figured it all out. Again, I know sometimes this account goes quiet even though I'm always writing; I just can't always find the time to set aside to edit and update the fics. It won't be right away but I can tell you that the next installment of the White Noise universe is definitely coming someday. Until then, see you in the other fics!</p><p>-NBW</p>
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